The Great Mouse Detective 2: Unexpected Love
by DiscordantPrincess
Summary: One month after the Flaversham case, Basil meets a young girl who needs his help. There's just one problem; she's Ratigan's daughter. Can Basil overlook his hatred and anger to help her? And could it be possible that he has feelings for the child of his greatest enemy? Basil/OC.
1. A Birth and a Death

**Hello, my name is DiscordantPrincess, and I'm a Disneyholic.**

**Ever since I can remember, ****The Great Mouse Detective**** has been one of my favorite Disney movies, and a big part of the reason why is Professor Ratigan; he is my absolute favorite Disney villain. I've always wondered what happened to him to make him so nasty, and part of the purpose of this story is to show off my theory as to what that was (as well as to put my OCs into the story and to give my favorite Disney hero a love interest.)**

**I do not own ****The Great Mouse Detective**** or its characters, just my OCs. **

LONDON 1879

Professor Ratigan paced back and forth outside the bedchamber door. He bit at his right index finger nervously. Inside, his wife Mary was giving birth to their first child.

* * *

Ratigan and Mary had been in love from the moment they met, when she was a student in his honors mathematics class at Oxford. Shortly after her graduation the two decided to get married. Unfortunately, soon after they were wed Mary's doctor advised her not to have children, for her body was so delicate that childbirth would most likely prove to be too much for her to survive. But Mary didn't care; she wanted a child, and she wasn't going to let anything stop her from getting what she wanted. Ratigan always loved that about her.

When Mary had announced that she was pregnant, Ratigan was both thrilled and scared beyond belief. What if the doctor's prediction came true, and she died giving birth? Or worse, what if both she AND the baby died? But Mary reassured him that what was meant to be would be, and that she would make sure to take care of herself throughout her pregnancy so that the delivery would go as smoothly as possible. Mary had done as she had promised she would do. Now was the moment of truth to see if it would work.

* * *

Just then, the door opened. The doctor came out, wiping his hands on his handkerchief. "Is everything all right, Doctor?"

The doctor sighed. "Well, Professor Ratigan, I have good news AND bad news. The good news is, you have a beautiful baby daughter, who is perfectly healthy and strong."

Ratigan smiled happily. "I have a daughter. And how's Mary?"

"I'm afraid that's the BAD news. It's just as I initially feared; your wife's body was completely destroyed by the birth. She doesn't have much time left."

Ratigan felt a nauseous ache of sadness form in the pit of his stomach. "Well, then, may I come in and say goodbye to her?"

"Of course, if she's up to it. I'll be right back." The doctor went back inside. "Mrs. Ratigan, your husband would like to talk to you. Is that all right?" Mary must have nodded yes, because the doctor then came right back out and said "Come in, please, Professor." He led the professor into the bedchamber, where he almost wept to see his beautiful Mary lying in bed, looking tired and sick, as if she had just aged ten years in the few hours of labor she'd gone through. Next to the bed, in a white wicker basket, wrapped in a soft pink blanket, slept their new baby girl. "I'll let the two of you talk alone." The doctor left the room, leaving the couple to say their last goodbyes.

The baby continued to sleep soundly as Ratigan gazed down on her lovingly. "Oh, Mary, she's absolutely perfect." He knelt beside his wife. "Luckily for her she takes more after you than me."

"Promise me she'll be loved, Padraic," Mary requested of her husband, calling him by his first name. "Promise me that you'll protect her and care for her forever."

"Of course I will, my love."

"And I know you never liked her, but I would love it if you named her Danielle, after my mother."

Ratigan frowned. He HAD never liked Mary's mother, and the feeling was mutual. Danielle Bentley was the most bigoted woman he had ever met, and she had been appalled that her daughter wanted to marry a man who was half sewer rat; to her, sewer rats were the lowest of the low, and even if you had one drop of sewer rat blood in you, you were less than nothing. She had even made Mary choose, IN FRONT OF HIM, between her previous life of luxury and wealth, or, as she had so kindly put it, "a relationship with a worthless sewer rat." Fortunately Mary had gladly chosen the latter, and even more fortunately Danielle died shortly afterwards, so she wouldn't be in their lives to pester them.

And now Mary wanted to name their baby girl after the old wench. It was almost laughable. But looking into his wife's dark blue eyes, Ratigan knew that he couldn't deny her her last request. "I will."

Mary smiled. "Thank you, darling." She moaned. "I'm going now, Padraic. Just remember that I love you. I've always loved you." She leaned forward and pressed against her husband, her lips touching his. After their final kiss, she lay back down, closed her eyes peacefully and let go.

"Mary, no!" Ratigan cried out. "Mary, please, don't leave me." But Mary didn't respond. She couldn't respond. She was gone. Ratigan hung his head sadly, held onto his wife's lifeless hand and wept like he had never wept before and would never weep again.

Just then, there was a cry from the basket. The baby had just woken up and was now calling for her mother. She didn't know that Mother couldn't come to her. Ratigan quickly got to his feet, went over to the basket, gently picked up his tiny daughter and cradled her in his arms. "Shhh. There, there, little Danielle. It's all right, Daddy's got you. Everything's going to be fine."

Upon hearing her father's voice, baby Danielle stopped crying and looked up at him with big, dark blue eyes...the very same shade Mary had. Ratigan sighed as he rocked his daughter gently, repeating his last sentence more for himself than for her.

"Everything's going to be fine."

**Yeah, depressing first chapter, I know. Poor Ratigan has all my sads/feels. **

**I know what you're probably wondering; where was Danielle when her father was trying to kill the Queen and take over the empire? Well, you'll find out in the next chapter (don't worry, the explanation's not nearly as sad as you think it is.) **

**What do you all think of my first GMD fanfic? Good, bad, so-so? Please R&R.**


	2. Missing Daddy

**Hey guys, new chapter time, yay!**

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: Darn right he needs hugs (huggles Ratigan)! Thank you for your kind review. **

**In this chapter, we get to know Danielle a little as an adult and see why she wasn't there when the movie took place. As stated before, I own nothing but my OC's.**

18 YEARS LATER

Danielle Ratigan walked down the street, silently, mournfully. In her hand she carried a single white lily. She hung her head low, making sure not to make eye contact with anybody, lest they see the tears stinging her eyes.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she got to where she was going; the Thames River Cemetery. Upon arrival at the cold black steel gate, she was greeted by the groundskeeper. "Mornin', Miss Ratigan. You here to see him again?" Danielle nodded. "Go on in, you know where he is."

"Thank you," Danielle spoke quietly. She went through the gate that the groundskeeper had just opened and wandered down the dirt path that went through the cemetery. She gazed at the various headstones, reading their names and dates. She felt a twinge of sadness for each mouse buried underneath the stones, wondering if they had left behind families.

After quite a bit of walking, Danielle made it to the grave she was looking for; a lone grave on top of a hill, with a black marble headstone. She knelt down beside the grave and read the sad inscription etched into the stone:

**PROFESSOR PADRAIC JAMES RATIGAN**

**THE WORLD'S GREATEST FATHER**

**BORN MAY 27, 1847**

**DIED JUNE 20, 1897**

It had been a month since her father was killed. She remembered the day she found out the horrible news like it were yesterday...

* * *

She was on the train to London from Bristol, having just graduated from Miss Rebecca's School for Elegant Young Ladies with all highest marks. She was looking forward to seeing her father again, having not seen him since Christmas. She took his most recent letter to her out of her purse, opened it and read it. The letter read:

_Dearest Danielle,_

_Words cannot describe how proud I am of you for your upcoming graduation. I am especially proud of the fact that you were made valedictorian, which doesn't surprise me in the least. After all, you are a Ratigan, and we Ratigans pride ourselves on our academic prowess. I only regret that I cannot come to your graduation; as you are aware, my sweet, I am a wanted mouse, so the only way I could even get into the ceremony was in disguise, and I'm not about to let a mask hide my pride and love for you._

_When you come into town on the twenty-second, I will be there at the train station to pick you up, or I will send one of the men in my stead if I can't make it. Just know that I love you, my little princess. I always have, and I always will._

_All my love,_

_Daddy_

Danielle smiled and hugged the letter to her chest. She knew that her father was despised throughout the empire, and with good reason. Ever since she could remember, he had organized and committed many evil deeds, claiming to be the World's Greatest Criminal Mind. But he had always treated her with great kindness and love, so she figured that he couldn't have been all bad.

The train pulled into the station in London. She hurried off, dragging her luggage behind her, trying to find her father or one of her many "uncles." Instead, she found a policeman. "Danielle Mary Ratigan?" he asked. She nodded. "I'm Officer Turner. I have orders to bring you to headquarters." When he saw the fear in the young girl's eyes, he smiled. "Don't worry, Miss Ratigan, you're not in trouble. It's about your father."

_Oh no, Daddy's finally been arrested_, Danielle thought. "Please, Officer, my father is all the family I have. Whatever you're asking for his release, I'll pay it, just give me time."

Officer Turner sighed. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, miss. Yesterday morning, some of our men found your father's body on the banks of the Thames. Our autopsy specialist says that he drowned after falling from the clock tower, after a vicious fight with his foe Basil of Baker Street. I'm so sorry, my dear."

Danielle shook her head. No, it couldn't be true. She refused to believe that her father was dead. He had simply gone into hiding, and the police had found a rat who looked just like him who had gotten drunk and fell into the river. But when Officer Turner took her to police headquarters to view his body, the proof was undeniable. There, on his back on a stone slab, lay her father. He was a mess; his fine clothes torn, his fur and hair matted and damp, his claws sharp and tainted with blood. Danielle whimpered as she felt her legs give out underneath her, until she fell to the floor of the autopsy room and wept harder than any girl had ever wept for a deceased parent.

There had been a public celebration when London found out that the dastardly Professor Ratigan was dead. Many wanted to burn his body, cut off his head and put it on a pike outside Buckingham Palace. But Danielle paid for a private burial and a plot of land in the cemetery in secrery, not wanting anyone to find out and try to interrupt. Her father deserved a proper burial.

* * *

Danielle lay the lily on her father's grave, tears running down her face. "I miss you, Daddy. A day doesn't go by that I don't think about you." She got up onto her feet, walked down the path to a sewer opening, and climbed down into it. Little did she realize that she was being watched...

**Duh duh DUUUUUH!**

**Hopefully I wrote a good description of what Ratigan looked like when he fell from Big Ben (I know that's technically the name of the bell and not the clock tower itself, but I'm stupid so there you go.) **

**For those of you doing the math on Ratigan's birth and death dates, he was fifty when he died (that sounds about right, right?), and I made his birthday May 27th because that's his voice actor Vincent Price's birthday as well...God bless you Mr. Price, may you rest in peace! And yeah, I made his middle name James after his inspiration, Professor James Moriarty from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. **

**Who's watching Danielle? Well, you gotta tune in to find out! **

**Hope to see you for the next chap!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess. **

**PS, check out my GMD poll on my profile page...that is, if you want to.**


	3. Michael J Wallace the Third

**Hey folks, I'm back! I'm just pouring out the chapters here (then again, I've had this story planned out for a while, I just have been waiting to type it up and share it with the peoples of the Internet!) **

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: That's our Ratti; a ruthless crime lord and a dastardly villain, but a loving father. Yeah, I know, I wish he could've survived, too, but in order to make the story work he kinda has to be dead. But at least he gets to be with Mary again (I fully believe that God forgives all our sins, no matter what they may be, and that we will all go to Heaven.) **

**In this chapter, we meet the villain of our story and find out what his evil plot is. Again, I don't own the movie, just my OC's. **

As Danielle climbed down the sewer entrance to get to her home, she was being watched by a young male mouse of about twenty-five, standing in front of the cemetery gate. This mouse had very pale gray, almost white fur and gray-green eyes, and he wore a black suit with a red cravat, black shoes, a black overcoat and a black hat. He puffed on a cigarette as he watched her go into the sewer.

_Interesting_, the mouse thought to himself. _I always thought that only sewer rats lived in the sewers, and she's much too pretty and small to be a sewer rat_. He turned to the groundskeeper. "Excuse me, my good man, but who was that lovely young woman that just went into that sewer opening?"

"Danielle Ratigan, daughter of the late Professor Ratigan," the groundskeeper explained. "Comes here every week to visit his grave. Sweet kid...unlike her old man, the vile bugger." The groundskeeper spat on the ground. "Hope he's rotting in Hell. The only reason I let 'em bury that bastard here is because she paid me a handsome amount of money."

"And she's living alone in the sewers?"

"Yep, in Ratigan's old secret lair...though it ain't much of a secret anymore. He left his daughter a big chunk of money when he died...a lot of it in stolen goods, which she gave back almost immediately. Like I said, sweet kid. Still left her a pretty hefty sum, what with him being an old professor and all. She said that even though she can afford to live anywhere she wants, she grew up in that old lair, and she's not about to leave it any time soon."

"And the mother?"

"Died within minutes of giving birth to her. Poor kid never knew her mum."

The young mouse nodded. "_Interesting_..."

* * *

Later that morning, the young mouse arrived back at his flat, where he was greeted at the door by his butler. "Welcome home, Master Wallace. Did you enjoy your morning walk around town?"

Wallace responded by taking off his coat and hat and shoving them into the butler's arms. "Hang these up for me, will you, Jenkins? I'm going up to my study." He left the foyer.

Jenkins sighed. "Of course, Master Wallace." He shook his head and grumbled to himself as he hung Wallace's belongings. Ever since his parents died when he was a boy and left custody to their faithful butler, he had been stuck taking care of that ungrateful brat. Never once did Wallace ever say "please" or "thank you," or even treat him as any decent gentleman would treat another living being. No, to Wallace he was little more than a labor-saving device. How Jenkins wished that he could tell the bastard off, but he knew that that would lead to certain unemployment, or even death if Wallace were in a bad enough mood. No, he knew that he would have to suffer through his servitude in silence.

* * *

In his study, Wallace picked up his robe from the back of his desk chair, then took three darts out of the desk drawer. He was thinking about Danielle, hatching a plan.

"Gorgeous, single, and wealthy," he described her. "Not to mention the daughter of that idiotic Professor Ratigan. All I wanted after my parents died was to join his band of thugs and live a life of adventure and crime, but would the bastard let me in? HA! "_You're too young_," he said. "_You don't have enough experience_," he said. "_Come back when you're a little older, son_." SON! That wretched sewer rat had the gall to call me SON!"

Wallace turned to face a dartboard hung on the wall with a picture of Ratigan tacked to it. "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind indeed. Bah! Without his loyal henchmen I doubt that Ratigan would have been able to rob a florist's shop, much less attempt to murder Queen Mousetoria and take over the kingdom!" He snorted. "Well, Professor, how's THIS for an evil plan? FIRST, I'm going to woo your daughter." He threw a dart, which landed in the picture's left ear. "Then, I'm going to MARRY her." The second dart hit the picture's nose. "And last, I'm going to slash her throat, dump her corpse into the Thames and take her inheritance for myself!" The third dart landed in the picture's left eye.

"Oh this is going to be glorious! No longer will I be the poor son of the stupid nobleman who gambled his fortune away. I will have riches, fame, power! No one will dare laugh at Michael J. Wallace the Third again!" He laughed wickedly, then opened the door. "Jenkins, fetch me a cab. It's time to meet my future wife."

**Yeah, Wallace is one petty little S.O.B., ain't he? I seriously doubt that a guy not letting you into his club justifies plotting to murder said guy's daughter after he himself is dead...but then again Maleficent plotted to murder Princess Aurora all because her boneheaded parents didn't invite her to their party, so I guess overkill is just standard for baddies. **

**For those of you wondering, yes, the picture of Ratigan that Wallace has tacked to his dartboard is the same picture that Basil had on his mantle in the movie. How did he get a copy of it? I have no idea!**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you soon for more!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess. **


	4. An Indecent Proposal

**Whassup, my peeps? Wow, two new chapters in one day...is that something or what? **

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: He really is, isn't he? Man, I want a Ratti plushie, do they still make them do you think? Thanks for all your great reviews. **

**In this chapter, Danielle and Wallace meet. How will things turn out? Gotta read to find out! I still don't own a darn thing. **

Slowly and carefully, Danielle made her way through the winding maze of sewer pipes. Most mice would have a hard time getting anywhere in the sewer, but she had been raised here, so she knew her way so well she could have walked it blindfolded.

After a few minutes, Danielle arrived at her father's old lair. She sighed as she looked around. Things had been very quiet and lonely ever since her father died and his employees had been rounded up and arrested, now in jail awaiting their sentences for treason and attempted genocide. Even their beloved cat Felicia had moved on, having been found mauled near death by a human family and taken in.

Danielle went into her room, which was fashioned out of a small wine keg. She sat down at her vanity, picked up her hairbrush and started brushing her long raven hair. She admired herself in the mirror. She had gotten her small mouse frame and her dark blue eyes from her mother, and her dusty gray fur and black hair from her father. In short, she was very beautiful.

After she finished brushing, Danielle smoothed out her skirt with her hands. She was wearing simple clothes; a white blouse, a black corset, a long gray skirt and black flats. These clothes breathed well and made it easier to maneuver through the pipes than would the stuffy dresses that Mousetorian ladies usually wore. She smiled as her eye caught the one bit of color in her wardrobe; a gold necklace that consisted of a chain with a heart-shaped pendant, her name engraved into the pendant. Her father had given it to her for her thirteenth birthday. It was her most treasured belonging.

Danielle got up from her vanity and walked over to her bed. She lay down on her back on the bed, reached for a book on her side table, opened it up to where she had left off and started to read. As she read, a memory came to her...

* * *

She was five years old. Her father was reading her a bedtime story. "...and so the prince tried the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot. The slipper fit perfectly, so he knew that she was the one he had danced with the night of the ball. Soon after they were married, and they lived happily ever after. The end." He closed the book and set it down.

"Daddy, when I grow up, will a handsome prince come find me and bring me to his castle?" little Danielle asked.

Ratigan chuckled. "Unfortunately, Danielle, life doesn't always work that way."

"It's because I'm not a princess, isn't it?" the little girl asked, obviously disappointed.

"Well, you're MY little princess, and that's all that matters. And one day, when you're old enough, you'll meet a nice man who will treat you like royalty." Ratigan kissed his daughter on the cheek. "Good night, Princess Danielle."

"Good night, Daddy."

* * *

Danielle smiled as she remembered how naïve she was back then. Of course some handsome prince on a white stallion wouldn't come riding into town looking for a bride, and even if he did, the sewer would be the last place he'd look.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. Danielle sat up, set the book down, got onto her feet and walked to the door and opened it, revealing a handsome young mouse on the other side. "May I help you, sir?"

The mouse smiled. "You certainly may, Miss Ratigan."

Danielle felt her heart stop for a moment. "You know who I am?"

"Of course I do. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that only the daughter of the late Professor Ratigan would continue to live in his old lair." The mouse bowed. "Michael J. Wallace the Third, at your service, m'lady." He took Danielle's hand and kissed it, making her blush slightly.

"I've heard about you," Danielle realized. "You're the son of the nobleman who gambled his fortune away at the corgi racetracks, and then died along with his wife shortly after in a carriage accident. I'm so sorry about all that."

Wallace snorted. "Oh, it's not THAT bad. I'm used to not having the money, I don't really miss it." He sniffed, feigning sadness. "The only regret I have is that I never really got to know my parents. You have no idea how much I miss them." He buried his face into his hands and pretended to cry. He peered through his fingers to see the pained look on Danielle's face, then uncovered his face. "Oh, dear me, I'm such an inconsiderate fool...I had forgotten that you just lost your father recently. My condolences, Miss Ratigan."

"Please, call me Danielle. And thank you. I'm still getting used to the fact that he's gone, but I'll be all right."

Wallace nodded. "Kind, understanding, and the most beautiful girl I've ever met. You are quite a rarity, Danielle. Which makes it all the more appropriate to do this." He took her hand and got down on one knee. "Danielle Ratigan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

For a moment, Danielle stared at him silently. Then, she burst out laughing. "What is so funny?" Wallace demanded, letting go of her hand and getting back up onto his feet.

Danielle calmed herself down. "I'm sorry, you weren't joking?"

"Oh, I've never been more serious in my life. I'll never find another woman like you."

"But we've just met!" Danielle reminded him. "We don't know anything about each other!"

"Darling, that's what the honeymoon is for. Now say yes, and begin our perfect life together!"

Danielle frowned. Either this man was desperate to find a wife, or he was just plain insane. "No."

"WHAT did you just say?" Wallace asked, his voice becoming very quiet, almost dangerously so. Danielle was a bit frightened, but she stood her ground.

"I said no, Mr. Wallace. I do not know you, and you are being pushy. If we were to get to know one another and then you asked for my hand, then I'd consider it, but for now my answer is no." She folded her arms in front of her chest.

Wallace's face became red. "No? NO? I did NOT crawl through this slimy sewer to be turned down by the whorish offspring of some second-rate crime lord! You WILL marry me!" He tried to grab at her, but she ducked out of the way and punched him in the eye, followed by a knee to the genitals. Wallace doubled over in pain, one hand covering his left eye and the other holding his crotch. Danielle ran to her private keg. "And if you ever come within fifty yards of me again, I'll give you TWICE the beating I just gave you!" She slammed the door behind her and locked it, leaving Wallace to get up and stagger home.

Jenkins met Wallace back at the flat and smiled to himself to see him with the beginnings of a black eye. "I take it the proposal didn't go quite as planned?"

"A minor setback, Jenkins. But mark my words, the Ratigan girl will be mine."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the sewer, Danielle was in a panic. "He'll be back. There's no way he's going to give up that easily. And who's to say he won't bring more men? I have to leave, hide until he stops looking for me." With that, she went out a back way that her father had used for quick evacuations, and once she made it to the surface, she ran. She ran and ran down the streets of London, as fast as her legs could carry her, until finally, she collapsed from exhaustion.

Danielle sobbed to herself as she lay on the sidewalk. Here she was, alone, tired and scared, in an area of town she didn't know well, with a maniac trying to find her and force her to marry him. It was all too much for an eighteen-year-old girl to bear. But the worst of it was, for one brief moment, she had actually believed that Wallace was her prince charming, coming to rescue her from her life of solitude and loneliness. "Oh God, how could I be so stupid?" she cursed herself. And so she continued crying until finally she slipped into unconsciousness, not even reading the address of the house that she was in front of:

221 1/2 B Baker Street.

**Duh duh DUUUUUH...I do so love dramatic music, don't you?**

**OK, as much as I hate Felicia (me not a cat person), I just had to let her survive, because A. she was really only acting on Ratigan's orders so she wasn't evil per se, and B. out of all the "deaths" from the movie, hers was probably the most survivable (is that even a word?)...she probably lost a lot of fur and a few chunks of skin, but still possible to escape from. **

**Just kind of an FYI if you were curious, I partially based Wallace on Gaston from ****Beauty and the Beast**** (very handsome, wants to marry the main heroine, extremely pushy in trying to make said heroine marry him), only more willfully malicious and less of a total dumbass...yeah, is it obvious that I don't like Gaston? **

**Next chapter, we get to meet the Baker Street crew, including our very own Basil...yay, I luvz Basil, just not as much as I luvz Ratigan! **

**Thanx for tuning in! Hope to see you for the next chap!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess. **


	5. Meeting New Friends (and an Old Foe)

**Hey there, hi there, ho there! Are you all ready for a brand spanking new chapter? You must be if you're actually here, reading my crap!**

**Sorceress of the Nile: Thank you! That's exactly what I was going for...yeah, Gaston's a chauvenistic pig.**

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: My sentiments exactly!**

**In this chapter, Danielle meets the Baker Street mice, including her dad's old foe Basil. As always, I own nothing.**

Shortly after Danielle passed out on the sidewalk, the front door of 221 1/2 B Baker Street opened, revealing a portly older male mouse with a blonde mustache wearing purplish-gray clothes. "I'll be right back, Mrs. Judson, I'm just taking a walk," he called behind him. Then, he saw Danielle. "Oh my!" He hurried over to her and knelt beside her. "You're in a sorry state, aren't you, my dear?" He put his finger on her wrist and felt her pulse. "Well, you're alive, but if I leave you out here chances are you won't be for much longer." He gently picked the unconscious girl up and carried her to the door, where he was greeted by a plump middle-aged lady mouse wearing a blue dress and a cap.

"Goodness gracious!" the lady exclaimed, seeing Danielle. "The poor thing! Is she one of your patients, Dr. Dawson?"

Dr. Dawson shook his head. "I just found her lying on the sidewalk outside the apartment. I thought I should bring her in here."

"Well, lay her on the sofa," Mrs. Judson suggested. Dawson obeyed and lay Danielle on her back on the sofa. The two mice looked at her. "My, she's a pretty young thing, isn't she?" Mrs. Judson asked.

"Quite," Dawson agreed. "I'll have to inspect her body for any sort of wounds." He started to unbutton Danielle's blouse, then saw the necklace around her neck. "What's this? There's something inscribed here." He took out a pair of reading glasses and read the inscription. "Danielle. That must be her name."

"What a lovely name, too," Mrs. Judson commented. "Quite suitable for a lovely girl."

"Yes...a lovely girl with the most interesting fur color I've ever seen," Dawson agreed. "Why, the only other time I've seen this color was..." He paused. "No. It can't be." He and Mrs. Judson turned to the mantle, where a portrait of the late Professor Ratigan was framed.

"Do you think it's possible?" Mrs. Judson asked.

"Well, to be honest I never thought that Ratigan could ever HAVE a family, being the treacherous fiend that he was," Dawson replied, "but she has his exact same fur and hair color, so I'd say it's possible. Oh dear me. Basil won't be happy if he sees her here."

"But you're not going to toss her out, are you, Doctor?" Mrs. Judson asked.

Dawson frowned. "No. This poor girl obviously needs our help, and I'm not going to throw her out just because of her last name. We'll set her onto the bed in the spare room in the back. Hopefully we can help her."

* * *

Danielle moaned as she regained consciousness. She blinked. She was no longer on the sidewalk; she was in a bedroom, lying in a bed, wearing a white nightgown. She squeaked as she felt around her neck and sighed with relief when she felt her necklace. She would have been devastated if anyone had stolen her necklace.

Danielle sat up and looked around the room. It was a standard bedroom, with a chest-of-drawers and a chair to one side. Next to the bed was a nightstand, and on the nightstand was a tray holding a teapot, a teacup and a plate of crumpets. Immediately her stomach began to grumble, reminding her that it had been quite some time since she ate last. _Hopefully no one will mind if I have just one crumpet_, Danielle thought to herself. She picked up a crumpet and bit into it. She didn't know whether it was due to an extraordinary recipe or the fact that she was starving, but that crumpet was the best thing she'd ever tasted. Hungrily she devoured the rest, washing them down with some tea. She sighed. It felt good to be in a safe, dry place, with warm food in her belly. But where exactly was she?

Just then, the door opened. Mrs. Judson came in, carrying a bundle. "Oh, good, you're awake. We were afraid you'd pass away on us." She looked at the empty plate on the tray. "I see you ate the cheese crumpets I left for you. Did you like them?" Danielle nodded. "I'm so glad." She handed Danielle the bundle. "Here, I laundered your clothes for you."

Danielle finally found her voice. "Th-Thank you. Please, ma'am, can you tell me where I am?"

"Why, you're at 221 1/2 B Baker Street, Miss Ratigan," a gentleman's voice told her. She peered over to see Dawson standing behind Mrs. Judson. "How is she doing, Mrs. Judson?"

"She's doing fine, Doctor. She ate the crumpets I left out."

"Good, good. That means her appetite is healthy." Dawson smiled at the young girl, who looked saddened. "You know who I am," she sighed. It was a statement, not a question.

"Indeed. I'm no genius detective, but I could figure out that you were related to the late Professor Ratigan by your fur and hair color. You ARE related to him, are you not?"

Danielle nodded. "He was my father. I suppose you want to throw me out now that you know."

"On the contrary, my dear. We want to help you." Danielle looked up at the doctor. "You DO?"

Just then, there was the sound of the front door slamming open. "HA HA! Chalk up another victory for the forces of good!" a man's voice declared.

"Land sakes, he's home!" Mrs. Judson gasped. She turned to Danielle. "Now my dear, you stay in here, all right?" Danielle nodded, still trying to figure out why the address 221 1/2 B Baker Street was ringing a bell to her. "Good girl." She and Dawson hurried into the main room. "I take it the stake out must have been a success, then. Well done, Mr. Basil."

_Mr. Basil?_ Danielle thought. Then, she realized where she was...she was in the home of Basil of Baker Street, her father's archfoe. She leapt out of bed and ripped off the nightgown, then quickly started to put on her regular clothes. As she did, she went over to the door and peered through the small open crack to get a better look at the detective. Basil was about her height, with light brown fur and green eyes, wearing a brown Inverness cape with a black belt around the waist, brown trousers, a green cravat, black and white shoes and a brown deerstalker cap. _He's very handsome_, Danielle thought, smiling a bit, then shook her head. _Grr, knock it off, Danielle, this is the man that your father fought to the death with. Just finish dressing and try to sneak out a back way_.

* * *

"Oh, Mrs. Judson, you should have seen it," Basil was describing his last caper. "Using Lady Torrington's diamond necklace as bait, we were able to lure the jewel thieves out of their hiding spot and straight into Scotland Yard's paddywagons! It's too bad you couldn't see it, Dawson old boy. I do hope you're feeling better."

"Oh, very much so," Dawson replied. "In fact, I ran into an adventure of sorts myself."

"Oh you did, did you?"

"Yes, I met a potential client."

"Really? And what is said client like?"

Dawson struggled to describe Danielle without out-and-out stating that she was Ratigan's daughter. "Well, it's a young lady, about eighteen, I'd say. Very lovely. Gray fur, black hair, dark blue eyes..."

Basil chuckled. "Dawson, you old goat, did you set me up with a case or on a date?" Just then, there was a crash from the spare bedroom. "Confound it!" Danielle cursed, having knocked over the chair with her tail by accident. Basil grinned. "Is that our mystery friend?"

"Basil, please, let me explain..." Dawson began, but before he could, Basil had seen Danielle. "Hello," Danielle spoke quietly.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Basil demanded, not happy in the slightest. He turned to Dawson. "How could you let HER in here?"

"The poor girl was passed out on the sidewalk, I couldn't very well leave her there to die!" Dawson explained.

Basil turned back to Danielle. "You have a lot of nerve coming here, Miss Ratigan."

Danielle blinked. "How...how do you know who I am?"

"Oh, I can tell that you're related to that fiend Ratigan just by looking into your eyes," Basil replied. "They may not be the same color, but I can tell they have the same shiftiness and cruelty as he had. The dastardly slime!"

Danielle started to get angry. "Now see here, Mr. Basil! I am fully aware of the evil that my father has performed and I'm very sorry for all of it, but still he was my father and I'll thank you not to speak ill of him! And furthermore, I didn't come here to see you! I was running away from my home and I happened to collapse in front of your apartment!"

"Why were you running?" Mrs. Judson asked.

Danielle sighed. "Have you ever heard of Michael J. Wallace the Third?"

"Oh yes, the son of that stupid nobleman who gambled away his fortune," Dawson recognized the name. "What about him?"

"He came over to my home, trying to persuade me to marry him, and when I refused he tried to attack me."

"Oh you poor dear!" Mrs. Judson exclaimed. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, if anything I hurt HIM. My father taught me how to defend myself. But now I'm convinced that he'll be back, so I can't stay in my home."

Basil nodded, obviously not impressed. "Uh-huh, well, good luck with all of that, Miss Ratigan. Make sure not to let the door hit you on your way out."

"Basil!" Dawson scolded the detective. He turned to the young guest. "Danielle, dear, why don't you and Mrs. Judson go into the other room for a bit? Mr. Basil and I need to have a talk." The two women went into the other room, leaving the two men alone. "What the deuce is your problem, Basil? That young lady needs our help!"

"That "young lady" is the offspring of the very same fiend who but a month ago was trying to murder our beloved Queen and take the throne for himself!" Basil argued.

"That has absolutely nothing to do with Danielle!" Dawson replied. "Ratigan was the one who did all those horrible things, not her! You cannot blame the child for whatever evil the father has performed."

Basil groaned. He hated to admit it, but Dawson was right. Danielle was completely innocent of her father's crimes. "All right, but she can't stay here. Wallace will most certainly be checking all of London for her. We'll need to hide her someplace safe outside the city, but where?"

Dawson smiled. "I know just the place. I think it's time we visited our good friends the Flavershams."

**Well, THAT could've gone better! I apologize if Basil seems a bit too assholish here, but to be fair he WAS a bit of a jerk in the movie. At least Dawson and Mrs. Judson were nice to Danielle! **

**I know you can't really tell if someone is related to someone based on their hair/fur/eye color, but it worked here, I guess. Oh whatever, I never said I was a genetics expert. **

**Next chapter we see the Flavershams again! Yay! **

**Thanks for all your kind words, peeps! Hope to see you for the next chapter!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**

**PS, I just checked my GMD poll this morning...right now Team Ratigan is kicking Team Basil's butt! Please be sure to vote! Deadline is the last day of November. **


	6. The Flavershams

**Hola, amigos! Bienvenidos al nuevo capitulo de mi cuento! (Don't worry, I'm not going to do the entire Author's Note in Spanish!) **

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: Aww, thank you so much (Internet huggle!) I really appreciate all your kind reviews. **

**Sorceress of the Nile: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the chap. Your review made me laugh so hard! Now please, Terra, let go of Basil, I need him all in one piece for the rest of my story!**

**In this chapter, Danielle meets the Flavershams. Will they take kindly to the daughter of the man who kidnapped and threatened to kill them? Gotta read to see! **

**The Great Mouse Detective is owned by Disney and Ms. Eve Titus. All OC's are owned by me. **

"Are you sure they'll be all right with this?" Danielle asked.

It was the next day. The four mice were at the train station, waiting to board a train heading to the north to visit the Flaversham family.

Dawson nodded. "Oh yes. Mr. Flaversham is incredibly nice, and his daughter Olivia is a good sport, so I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms." Danielle smiled.

"Although I wouldn't get my hopes up TOO much, Miss Ratigan," Basil interjected. "After all, this IS the family that was almost destroyed by your father when he kidnapped Flaversham to build his Queen duplicate, so they may not take too kindly to you." Danielle's face fell, and Basil was met by glares from both Dawson and Mrs. Judson. "What? I'm just stating facts."

* * *

Once they boarded the train, the mice took their seats. Basil and Dawson sat together in one aisle, and Danielle and Mrs. Judson sat a few aisles behind them. As they rode, Danielle remained quiet and solemn.

"Oh come now, dearie, you're not letting that stupid comment of Basil's upset you, are you?" Mrs. Judson asked the younger lady.

"No," Danielle replied. "It's just...I haven't been on a train since the day I found out about my father's death. It's a bit emotional for me." She started to tear up. "I'm sorry, you must think me horribly foolish."

"Not at all, my dear. In fact, I know how you feel. When I was younger, I was traveling home from the north, after visiting my sister and her family, and once I got back to London I was told by an officer that my dear husband Theodore had been killed in a carriage accident. I was devastated. For the longest time, I couldn't ride a train without thinking about that horrible day, but after some time I recovered, as I'm sure you will as well."

Danielle smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Judson. You and Dr. Dawson have been so kind to me ever since I ran into you." _I just wish Basil would be as well_, she added silently.

* * *

After a bit, the four mice arrived at the train station a few miles from the town where the Flavershams lived. From there, they took a cab to the town and looked around for the Flavershams' home. They then came across a toy shop that had a sign on the front. The sign read:

FLAVERSHAM'S TOYS

HIRAM FLAVERSHAM, TOYMAKER AND PROPRIETOR

"This must be the place," Dawson spoke up. They opened the door and one by one went into the shop. Danielle looked around in awe at the remarkably-made toys on the shelves. _I can see why you wanted this man to build your Queen duplicate, Daddy_, she thought. _His craftsmanship is __**amazing**__!_

Just then, a middle-aged mouse wearing work clothes and glasses came in from the back. "Welcome to Flaversham's Toys," he spoke in a thick Scottish accent. "How may I help you?" Then, he saw just who had come into the shop. "Oh my goodness!" He turned to the door. "Olivia! Olivia, dear, come quickly and see who's here!"

"Who is it, Daddy?" a young voice asked. An adorable little girl of about six came into the shop. She saw who it was and gasped. "Basil! Dr. Dawson! Mrs. Judson!" She ran over and gave each mouse a big hug. "It's so good to see you all! Are you here on a case?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Basil replied gravely. He indicated Danielle, who had slinked back when the Flavershams began to greet their friends.

Hiram smiled at the young woman. "And who might this be?"

"The "case" we are working on," Basil explained. "This is..."

"Danielle Ratigan," Danielle interrupted the detective. She stepped up and curtsied a bit. "It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Flaversham."

"Ratigan," Flaversham repeated the girl's last name. "By any chance, would you be related to..."

Danielle nodded. "He was my father. I'm very sorry for any pain he caused you."

The room was silent for several seconds. Then, Olivia went up to Danielle. "Miss Ratigan...would you like to come into the back room and have a tea party with me?"

Danielle looked at the little girl, confused for a minute. Then, she smiled. "I would like that very much, Miss Flaversham." The two girls went into the back room together.

Hiram smiled. "Isn't that nice? Olivia has so missed London, and she's been having some difficulty making friends. It's good to see her playing with someone."

Basil stared at him, astounded. "Doesn't it bother you that the woman in there playing with your daughter is the child of the same villain who but a month ago threatened her very life?!"

"A bit, but Danielle seems like a pleasant young lady. After all, you can't blame the child for whatever evil the father has performed."

Basil sighed as Dawson smirked at him. "Yes, I've heard that before."

* * *

Meanwhile, Olivia and Danielle were seated at a small table, playing with a pretend tea set. "Would you like some more tea?" Olivia offered, holding the teapot.

"Thank you." Danielle held her cup, and Olivia pretended to pour tea into it. The older girl giggled. "I never had any girls in my life growing up to do this sort of thing...all I had were my father's henchmen, and they made lousy tea ladies!"

"So Professor Ratigan really was your daddy?" Olivia asked. Danielle nodded. "I never knew anything about him other than when he kidnapped my father. Was he a good daddy?"

"Yes, he treated me like a princess my whole life, which probably makes sense seeing as I was his only child, because my mother died shortly after giving birth to me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Olivia apologized. "I know how you feel. I lost MY mother when I was very young, so as long as I can remember it's just been Daddy and me. But I've always wanted a big sister."

"Well, what a coincidence," Danielle replied. "I've always wanted a LITTLE sister."

"Well, I'll tell you what...I'll be your LITTLE sister if you'll be my BIG sister," Olivia offered. She held out her hand.

Danielle smiled and took the little girl's hand and shook it. "You, Miss Flaversham, have got yourself a deal."

* * *

"...and that's why we need your help," Dawson finished telling their story to Hiram.

"Oh, my, that DOES sound serious," Hiram commented.

"Can you help us?" Mrs. Judson requested.

Hiram opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Olivia. "Daddy, please can Danielle stay with us? She's my big sister now!" She wrapped her arms around Danielle's waist.

"Well, we can't very well let anyone take your big sister away, now can we?" Hiram chuckled. "You can all stay here for as long as you like. We have plenty of rooms for everyone."

"That's awfully kind of you, Hiram," Dawson told the toymaker.

"Think nothing of it, Doctor. Call it my thank you gift for helping Olivia and me."

"YAY!" Olivia cheered. "This is going to be so much fun, Danielle! You can share my room, and we can play together and read together and do everything together! We're going to be the bestest sisters ever!" The mice all laughed at the little one's exuberance.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in London, Jenkins was returning to the flat after a fruitless search for Danielle. "I'm sorry, Master Wallace, I've searched every inch of London, down to the sewer pipes. The Ratigan girl is nowhere to be found."

"Oh for God's sakes, man! A mouse cannot just vanish into thin air!" Wallace berated his butler. "Look OUTSIDE of London! I don't care if we have to search every house in every town in the whole bloody country! We are going to find her and bring her back ALIVE!"

"Yes, Master Wallace, I'll go reserve some train tickets." Jenkins hurried out of Wallace's study.

Wallace frowned as he rubbed his left eye, now completely swollen shut and black from where Danielle had punched him. "I will find you, Danielle Ratigan. And when I do, I will force you to be my bride."

**Man, Wallace will not just give up, will he? The bastard!**

**OK, in my opinion Olivia is just about the cutest little cartoon kid ever animated! If she were real, I would totes adopt her as my little sister and hug her all the time! And I have absolutely no idea how old she's supposed to be in the movie, but I always put her at six. **

**I don't think the movie ever mentioned what Mr. Flaversham's first name is, but everyone I've talked to and everything I've read agrees that his first name is Hiram, so I'm going with Hiram. LOL, if I were a GMD screenwriter I probably would've made his name Wilbur as a VA shout out (for those of who that don't get the joke, Hiram's voice actor, Alan Young, starred on the oldtime TV show "Mr. Ed" as a character named Wilbur who could talk to the titular horse, as well as being the voice of Scrooge McDuck.) **

**Thanks for all the awesome words, peeps! Hope to see you again soon!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess. **


	7. The Big Date

**(Sits in an armchair, drinking tea) Good evening, and welcome to the next chapter of the fanfiction "The Great Mouse Detective 2: Unexpected Love." I am your host, DiscordantPrincess, and I...I can't pull off being fancy. Oh well.**

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: Heck yeah, she's adorable! And I'm with you, I don't support pairing Olivia with ANYBODY, she's a little kid for Discord's sake! If she were about ten years older, then yeah, I could see it, but not as a little kid! Don't worry, this chap goes a little into Ratti's backstory, and the next chap will delve even deeper! **

**In this chapter, Basil is starting to realize his true feelings for Danielle, and they go out together. How will things turn out? Find out now! I still own nothing. **

It had been a month since the Baker Street mice came to visit the Flavershams. Danielle and Olivia had grown as close as two girls could get. They played together, they laughed together, they read together...they did practically everything together. They were truly sisters.

Basil observed Danielle's interactions with Olivia every day. He was absolutely astounded by how different she was from her father; whereas Ratigan had been cruel, vicious and just plain evil, Danielle was kind, even-tempered and compassionate. However did that lowlife raise such a wonderful daughter all by himself? he wondered. Also, the detective was experiencing new feelings for the young woman. Whenever he heard her laugh or sing or watched her play with Olivia, his face felt hot, his heart pounded in his chest, and it felt as though an entire swarm of butterflies had found their way into his stomach. He had not felt this way about a woman in quite some time...and it frightened him a little.

Of course, the three other adults noticed Basil's feelings for Danielle, so they formulated a plan to get them together. It started when Dawson suggested that Basil take Danielle out for the evening.

"Why would I want to do that?" Basil asked.

"Because young ladies enjoy going out and seeing the town," Dawson explained. "And a young lady would need a gentleman to escort her, and seeing as you are closer to her age than are Hiram or myself, you would be best suited."

Basil smiled. "That's a fine suggestion. All right, I'll do it." What he wasn't about to admit to Dawson was that he was planning on inviting Danielle out anyway.

* * *

So Basil asked Danielle out, and she gladly said yes. Hiram suggested a good restaurant in town, and the mice spent the next few days preparing. Finally, the night rolled around. In Olivia's bedroom, Olivia and Mrs. Judson were helping Danielle prepare.

"But why would Basil all of a sudden invite me out?" Danielle asked. "I thought he hated me!"

"Oh, I don't think he ever hated you, dear," Mrs. Judson assured her. "He's just got a lot of resentment built up against your father, and he's been indirectly pointing it at you."

"What exactly happened between my father and Basil that made them hate one another so passionately?" Danielle inquired. "My father never told me anything outside the fact that Basil was a "miserable pipsqueak" and a "second-rate detective.""

Mrs. Judson sighed. "It's a long, sad story, and I don't want to upset you before your evening. Olivia, dear, please hand me that ribbon over there."

* * *

Down in the main room, Basil paced back and forth a bit. He was dressed in a blue suit with a magenta cravat, black shoes and white gloves. He wrung his hands together. "Nervous, Basil?" Dawson asked.

"Just a bit," Basil lied, really he was petrified. "I haven't been on a date in years."

"You'll be fine," Hiram assured him. "Just be nice to her. Talk with her, maybe find some common ground."

Just then, Olivia came out into the room. "May I present, Miss Danielle Ratigan!" Danielle came out, dressed in a pink gown, pink gloves and flats, gold earrings and her gold necklace. Her long raven hair was fixed neatly up in a bun.

Basil was speechless for a minute. "You...you look STUNNING."

Danielle smiled. "Thank you, you look very handsome as well." The two mice gazed at each other for a while.

Then, Basil found his voice. "Well, shall we go?"

"Yes, let's." Basil gently took Danielle's hand, and the two walked out the door together.

* * *

The two mice took a cab to the restaurant. They arrived, were seated and ordered their drinks and meals. As the evening went on, they were talking and laughing.

"You didn't!" Danielle denied something that Basil had told her.

Basil nodded. "I did. When I was a freshman in university, some colleagues and I hijacked a cab and took a joyride on it. It was the wildest thing I've ever done! We got into terrible trouble with both the owner of the cab and the school board, but it was worth it!"

Danielle chuckled. "My father would have never let me do anything like that. He was always highly protective of me."

"That's because he cared about you so much. As dastardly as that fiend was, he was loyal to ones he loved." Basil noticed that Danielle was looking sad, so he added "If I tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Yes."

"I was always envious of your father. He was bigger, stronger, smarter...that's why I pushed myself to be the best my whole academic career and beyond, so I could say that I was even half as smart as Padraic Ratigan."

Danielle half-smiled. "If I tell YOU a secret, do YOU promise not to tell anyone?" Basil nodded, expecting to hear some story about a time when Ratigan had beat her or called her a name, something more suited to the villain he knew and hated than the wonderful childhood memories she always talked about. Instead, Danielle continued with "When I was a girl, I had a massive crush on one of my father's henchmen."

"Really," Basil replied, a bit disappointed that her secret was so small.

"Oh yes. I knew we could never be together, but Bartholomew was just so funny and cute, even IF he was drunk half the time I ever saw him. I was devastated when I learned that Daddy had fed him to our cat Felicia after he called him a rat. I never knew why my father hated being called a rat until he told me the story."

"What story?" Basil inquired. Danielle took a deep breath and told him:

"My father was born in New York City to a mouse mother and a rat father. My grandparents' marriage was not a happy one; her family had arranged for them to marry solely because my grandfather had worked his way up from the sewers into high class society. But he wasn't high class at all. He drank way too much and abused her both physically and verbally. The only time he ever stopped was when she was pregnant and nursing. The day my father was weaned, though, Grandfather Ratigan started beating his wife again. Then, when she discovered that she was expecting her second child, he stopped beating his wife...and started beating their five-year-old son. Grandmother Ratigan decided that enough was enough and planned to leave. Fortunately, Grandfather died of a heart attack soon after he took up beating my father, and the family left New York for London, where my aunt was born. Things went well for their family, until Grandmother became ill with cholera. My father, then sixteen, tried to get her the best doctors in London, but nothing worked and she died. My father was devastated, but because he had been accepted to Oxford University he had to be strong, so he left my aunt, then eleven, with a relative of their mother's and went to school. He did so well that after graduation, the university offered him a job as head of the mathematics department and he accepted. There, he met my mother, they got married and had me, but unfortunately my mother died giving birth to me. And then when I was a baby my aunt died. Losing his mother, wife and sister devastated my father, and that's when he became a criminal I'm sure. He had hardened his heart to the rest of the world." She began to cry. "In all the rest of his life, I was the only one he could ever love." She leaned her head into the table and sobbed.

"So he hated being called a rat because it reminded him of his own father's beastly ways," Basil concluded. "All the time I was a student of his, he never once told me that story. Not that it would be a story that I myself would necessarily share with anyone." He gently stroked the crying girl's arm. "It's all right, my dear, it's all the past now."

Danielle sniffed and looked up. "That's the first time you've ever called me dear before."

"You ARE a dear. You are a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful young woman, Danielle Ratigan."

Danielle smiled. Then, she heard the music that the restaurant's string quartet was playing. "Oh, that's so beautiful." She got up and took Basil's hand. "Come on, let's dance."

"Oh, I don't think so, my dear, I'm not really the best dancer," Basil tried to get out of it.

"Neither am I, but we can still dance." Danielle jerked Basil onto his feet and took him to the middle of the room, where they began to dance together. "Danielle, darling, we're the only two dancing," Basil noted.

"I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, we're the only two mice in the room." With those reassuring words, Basil relaxed and danced with Danielle. The two felt a calm serenity sweep over them, and then when the song ended, they looked into each other's eyes, emerald meeting dark sapphire, and shared a passionate kiss. Everyone in the room applauded the couple...except for one mouse who was sitting in a corner.

"Oh my," Jenkins commented. "I must go tell Master Wallace!" He got up and hurried off, heading for the inn that he and Wallace were staying in.

* * *

Later that night, the two mice arrived back at the Flavershams' home. "So, how did the evening go?" Dawson asked.

"Oh, it went very well," Basil answered.

"Yes, very well indeed," Danielle agreed. "Is Olivia in bed?"

"Ay, she went about half an hour ago," Hiram confirmed. "She wanted to wait up for you, but I told her we had no idea when you'd be back."

"Well, I'd better get ready for bed," Danielle decided. "Good night, Basil."

"Good night, Danielle." Danielle went up to where Olivia's room was. "Good night, everyone."

"Good night," came the simultaneous response. Danielle smiled and went into the room. Basil grinned as he watched her go.

"I know that look," Mrs. Judson recognized Basil's face. "What happened tonight?"

"Oh, nothing much," Basil responded. "We had dinner, and we danced, and then we...kissed."

"You KISSED!" Dawson repeated, thrilled. "Oh, I knew it, good fellow! You're in love with Danielle!"

Basil sighed. "She's just so wonderful..." Then he caught on to what Dawson had just said. "In LOVE? No, no, that's impossible, I can't be in love!"

"It's not impossible at all," Hiram replied. "Falling in love is a wonderful thing. Why I remember when I first met my beloved wife Bridget..."

"No, no, no, you don't understand, I just can't be in love!" Basil interrupted, frantic.

"We WOULD understand if you told us!" Dawson replied. "Basil, please, we are your friends, you can tell us anything."

Basil breathed in heavily and let it go, trying to calm himself down. "I was in love once, with a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful young lady. I was young, happy, completely naïve to how cold and cruel the world really is..."

**Hoo boy, THAT was some emotional trauma there, wasn't it?**

**Hopefully I got the symptoms of falling in love at least partially correct; having never actually been in LOVE love myself (though I've had my fair share of crushes), I can only go by what I've read.**

**I hope you guys liked the little posthumous mention of Bartholomew...I really liked the little guy in the movie, and I'll admit I felt a little sad when Ratigan fed him to Felicia. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one who likes him. **

**I know it's probably biologically impossible for mice and rats to interbreed...but screw it, I'm running on freaky fangirl logic here!**

**Just to give y'all a mental picture, Danielle's dress is based heavily on Belle's ball gown from Beauty and the Beast...but pink instead of gold. As to where the darn thing came from...I don't know, maybe it's an old dress that belonged to Olivia's mom. **

**Next chapter, we learn Basil's backstory and what caused him and Ratigan to become enemies. Warning, may be a Tearjerker.**

**Thanks again, y'all, hope to see you soon!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**


	8. Basil's Past

**Howdy, y'all! Ready for the new chapter for my li'l ol' fanfic?...OK, I really can't pull off Western/Southern either. Darn it, I'm running out of clever Author's Notes! Aw well.**

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: If you can believe it, it gets sadder. Yeah, I've heard that rats can be incredibly gentle creatures, but in Ratti's experience the only rat he ever really knew well was a total ass, so I'd say that he'd be just a bit put off by the whole group, as racist as that is. LOL, I totes agree that the Basielle (or Dansil, whichever couple nickname sounds cuter) romance was way rushed, but Disney movies are pretty infamous for their blink-and-they're-in-love couples, so I figured a month would probably be the Disney equivalent of taking about five years to fall in love. I dunno, maybe it's just me. **

**Sorceress of the Nile: Thanks, I'm glad you like my stuff! I agree, he was funny and his death was pretty dang sad. Yes, fangirl logic truly is amazing. Oh, and thank you Terra for letting Basil go. **

**LuluCalliope: MAJOR awwww! Thank you, I always like to do things a little differently, it's nice to know that it's appreciated. Indeed, Mr. Price was an incredible actor and an incredibly nice guy (or so I've heard, I never met him 'cuz he actually died a few days before my fourth birthday) and he is missed greatly by all his fans. **

**OK, so here we learn Basil's tragic past. You may want a box of Kleenex handy, it is a doozy.**

LONDON 1880

"Oh, I absolutely LOVE it!" Evelyn commented, looking at the lily-white gown she had on. She was at a local dressmaker's shop searching for a wedding dress. She turned to her fiancé. "What do YOU think, Bassie?"

Basil Benson smiled as he gazed upon his fiancée. "It looks stunning on you, Evelyn dearest."

Evelyn then frowned when she saw the price tag. "Oh dear, it's so expensive! I can't ask you to spend this much money on a dress that's going to be worn once."

"Evelyn, you're going to be my wife, I want you to have everything you want." Basil turned to the saleslady observing them. "We'll take it."

Basil was a very happy young man. Having graduated from secondary school at age sixteen and receiving a full scholarship to Oxford, he had worked hard as a chemistry major until earning his degree at age nineteen. Now twenty-one, he was in training to become a detective with Scotland Yard and had the love of his life by his side. Nothing could go wrong.

* * *

Later, after finishing shopping, Basil and Evelyn arrived back at Evelyn's flat. Soon after they had settled in, there was a knock on the door. "May I come in?"

Evelyn giggled as she recognized the voice. "Of course, Paddy, you're always welcome here!" The door opened to reveal Padraic Ratigan, Evelyn's older brother and Basil's former mathematics professor. In his arms he carried a little girl wearing a lavender dress, her black hair fixed into pigtails with purple bows.

"Oh, Paddy, Danielle has grown up so much since I last saw her!" Evelyn admired. She took her niece from her brother and smiled as the baby gurgled happily. "Hello, little Danielle. I'm your Auntie Evelyn." She turned to Basil. "Do you want to hold her, Basil?"

"Oh, no thank you, I'm not very good with babies."

"Oh come now, dearest, she's going to become your niece, she should be accustomed to you holding her. Come on, Danielle, let's give you over to Uncle Basil." She passed the baby to Basil, who accepted her into his arms carefully. Danielle seemed fascinated by Basil, who looked down at her smiling. "She really is a beautiful child, Professor. And growing up nice and strong, too."

Ratigan smiled. "I know. Hard to believe she's just turned a year old. It seems like only yesterday she was just born."

Basil handed Danielle back to Evelyn, who started playing with the baby. Basil smiled as he watched his fiancée interact with her niece. Ratigan noticed the younger mouse's look and chuckled. "I know what you're thinking; you're imagining what she'll be like with your own children."

Basil blinked up at the professor. "How did you know?"

"I used to get the same look watching Mary playing with her friends' children when we were engaged." Ratigan sighed as he remembered his late wife.

"Have you ever thought about remarrying?" Basil asked. He let out a squeak when he saw the professor's pained face. "I'm sorry, I've overstepped..."

"No, not at all, it's an understandable question, and you're nowhere near the first to ask it," Ratigan responded. "I have thought about getting back into the courting scene, but with Danielle it would be extremely hard. If it weren't for my nurse Sarah, I doubt I'd be able to go back to work. No, I'm fairly certain that God meant for me to remain a widower until the day I die." He smiled. "But enough about me and my tragic tales. Things are going well for you, are they not, my prized pupil?" Out of all the students Ratigan had ever taught, Basil was definitely the best and the brightest. Throughout the young mouse's university career he had served as his academic advisor and closest friend.

"Yes, Professor."

"Oh please, my boy, we're going to be family soon enough, just call me Padraic."

"Yes, Profess...I mean, Padraic."

"You two seem to be a very happy couple." Ratigan feigned seriousness for a second. "You'd better take care of my little sister, Benson. Aside from Danielle she's all the family I have left."

Basil smiled. "Oh, don't worry, Padraic, I promise I will."

* * *

A few days later, Basil was coming home from training with Scotland Yard, humming happily to himself. In just a week, he thought, Evelyn and I will be together forever. He opened the door to his flat to find Deirdre Judson, his landlady and housekeeper, crying on the sofa. He hurried to her side. "Mrs. Judson! What's wrong? Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Miss...Miss Evelyn was out with some friends last night," Mrs. Judson wept. "There was a man there. They say he was drunk out of his mind. He...he pulled out a gun and he...he shot so many mice...including Miss Evelyn. The doctor said he couldn't do anything for her."

Basil shook his head. No, it couldn't be. He refused to believe that his fiancée was dead. But he went down to the police station, where the bodies of the victims were on display in the coroner's for identification. There she was, laying on her back on a slab, a bullet hole in her chest. All Basil could do was clutch her limp hand and cry.

* * *

The funeral was held on the day that Basil and Evelyn's wedding was supposed to commence. Basil and Ratigan sat together in the pew. Basil cried throughout the entire service, but Ratigan remained stone faced and solemn.

The day after the funeral, Basil learned from reading the newspaper that the man responsible for killing Evelyn had gone on trial, and the jury had decided that since he was intoxicated at the time, he couldn't be held responsible for his actions and thus was acquitted, but forbidden to use a gun again.

The news made Basil sick. He needed someone to talk to. And who better than the one being in the world that had known Evelyn better than he did? He ran to Ratigan's flat and knocked on the door. "Professor, it's Basil Benson! I need to talk to you!"

"It's unlocked," came the weak response from the other side. Basil opened the door and went into the flat. He almost cried to see his favorite professor and role model sitting in an armchair, smoking a cigarette, looking weary and depressed. The floor was littered with newspaper shreddings, most likely ripped up by the professor's own claws. Pictures of the two Ratigan siblings as children were all around the room. Basil understood that. When his own father had died when he was fourteen, his mother adorned their home with pictures of him to keep his memory alive. "I'm sorry, I can come back if this is a bad time."

"No, please stay, I could use all the company I can get," Ratigan replied. He got up. "Would you like a drink?" Basil nodded. A drink was just what he needed; something to help untangle the knot of grief and despair in his gut. Ratigan went into the other room.

Basil looked around. He was concerned that he didn't see or hear any signs of a baby around. "Danielle...?"

"Out with Sarah for the day," Ratigan explained from the next room. "I figured it would be best for her to be away from me in this state." He returned to the room with two glasses of brandy. Basil gladly accepted his. "Thank you."

"Life just isn't fair, is it, Basil?" Ratigan asked gravely. "First I lose my mother, then I lose my wife, and now I've lost my baby sister."

Basil nodded. "I'm so sorry."

"Fat lot of good "sorry" does me now," Ratigan retorted, growing angry. "No amount of "sorries" will ever bring Evelyn back, now will they? And do you know what REALLY pisses me off? Her killer has been acquitted! What the hell is wrong with that jury? I lose my sister, and the bastard guilty for murdering her gets off scott-free? Where's the justice in THAT?"

Basil was shocked. He had never seen Ratigan so furious before, and it scared him. "I know it's unfair, but we have to accept what the jury decided. I mean, if it were up to me, the bastard would be hanging from a tree branch right now, but it's not up to us to decide what's right and what's wrong. I loved Evelyn, too, but I know she'd want us to move on with our lives."

Ratigan didn't seem to hear the young mouse's words. "If those idiots on the jury aren't going to give Evelyn justice, then I will!"

The professor's last sentence was jarring for Basil to hear, but he quickly dismissed them as being spoken with a broken heart. After all, the Professor Ratigan he knew and admired would NEVER harm another living being.

It wasn't until a few days later, when he read in the newspaper that the gunman had been mauled to death in an alley, his body covered in rat claw and teeth marks, that he took those words seriously.

* * *

Basil hurried to Ratigan's flat. He had to confront him about this. If he could get him to confess to a jury, maybe they could give him a lesser sentence for having a good reason to murder the gunman. He pounded on the door. "Professor! It's Basil Benson! We have to talk about this!" There was silence. "Please, Professor, open up!"

Then, the door creaked open. Basil stepped inside. Nobody was home. He sat down on the sofa and waited for the professor to return. He waited all day, and nobody came in.

Immediately Basil knew what had happened; Ratigan had fled the area. He was devastated. Now he had lost his best friend as well as his fiancée. He then devoted himself to doing everything in his power to find Ratigan and bring him back.

* * *

ONE YEAR LATER

Basil was on a case with a group of other Scotland Yard detectives. They were observing a jewelry store theft for clues. Being the newest member, Basil was often stuck with the menial tasks, but he was much more observant than his fellow detectives. He just had learned to keep it to himself. As he had learned, the other detectives did not take kindly to the newbie being smarter than them.

Just then, he saw a defining clue that he had seen in many cases before; claw marks on a broken display case. Near the break was gray fur...a shade of gray that only rats had. Or in this case, a rat-mouse hybrid.

Suddenly, there was a shout from one of the other detectives. A large, shadowy figure was in the background of the store, glaring at them with yellow and red eyes. It broke Basil's heart to see the eyes once filled with intelligence and kindness now filled with hatred and anger. The figure took out a gun and shot one of the detectives in the leg, then ran out of the store. As the others tended to their wounded companion, Basil dashed off after the figure.

"Benson, what in blazes are you doing?" one of the detectives called after him. "He'll tear you apart! Get back here!"

"Let him go, Ned," Inspector Greene, the leader of Scotland Yard, told him. "Obviously he wants to confront this one himself."

Basil chased after the figure. "Stop, Professor!"

The figure stopped and turned around, so Basil got a good view of Professor Ratigan's face. "Well, well, if it isn't the great Basil Benson himself. How did you figure that it was me? Was it the claw marks I left behind? The fur? Or the fact that I've pulled off approximately twenty-three heists similar to this in the last year...but who's counting?"

"Please, Professor, let me talk..." Basil started.

"Oh don't bother, Benson, I know exactly what you're going to say. "What you're doing is wrong, Professor. You need to stop and turn yourself in."" Ratigan smirked. "How close was I?"

Basil frowned. That was almost word for word what he was going to say. "I know you're sad about what happened to Evelyn, but committing crime will never bring her back. Things will go much better for you if you just surrender yourself."

"Not a chance! I happen to be evil now, Basil. Have you seen what they call me in the papers? "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind." I am the best at being the worst! And do you know what? I LIKE being the best."

"But think about everything you left behind!" Basil requested. "Think of the many students who looked up to you and respected you! Think of little Danielle...she can't be happy wherever it is you have her now."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. Danielle is the happiest I've ever seen her. I never needed society. I should have gone rogue long ago."

Basil felt tears stinging his eyes. "Please, Professor, don't do this. Let me help you..." He started to move near the professor...and fell back after feeling the sharp pain of Ratigan's claws slicing through his belly. The last thing he saw before fading into black was the professor's figure running into the darkness.

* * *

Basil groaned as he woke up. He looked around. He was in the hospital, lying in bed. His chest and abdomen were bandaged. Inspector Greene was sitting beside him.

"Benson! Thank God you're alive!" the inspector sighed. "I was afraid you'd kicked the bucket over night. That was incredibly brave going after that criminal alone...and incredibly STUPID."

"I know, Inspector, and I'm sorry. I promise, it'll never happen again."

Inspector Greene nodded. "It better not. Next time you run into a perpetrator who's a friend of yours, like this fellow obviously was, I want you to HANDCUFF him, not try to REASON with him."

Basil frowned. "He's not my friend. Not anymore. And I promise, next time I see him I'll set him behind bars like the miserable slime he is."

"Atta boy! I'll see you back at headquarters once you've healed." With that, Inspector Greene left the room, leaving Basil to stew in his own hatred.

"Very well, Ratigan, if it's a war you want, it's a war you'll get. And I swear to God, I'll hunt you down and bring you in! I'll stop you if it's the last thing I ever do!"

**OK, hopefully I haven't depressed the fudge out of y'all quite yet (sniffles into her last tissue).**

**I hope you guys liked Evelyn...like Mary she's meant to be a very sweet woman who cares deeply for her family. Maybe I'll be adding her in more GMD fics I plan on writing.**

**Seeing as I'm a math nerd, I calculated Basil and Ratigan's ages here. If Ratigan was fifty in 1897, in 1880 he'd have be thirty-three. And if Basil was twenty-one in 1880, he'd be thirty-eight in 1897...yeah, I just made my main GMD fanon pairing totally Squicky, didn't I?**

**Yay, more "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind" references! What can I say, it's my favorite Disney villain song, the main reason being that VINCENT PRICE WAS AN AWESOME SINGER! GODDAMMIT, WHY DIDN'T THEY HAVE HIM SING MORE? And I know I forgot to mention this in my last chap, but Ratigan's backstory of being born in New York and raised in London was based on Mr. Price, who was born in St. Louis and went to school in London, hence how he got that super-sexy Trans-atlantic accent of his.**

**Next chapter should be coming up soon. WARNING: the next chapter will contain a character death, so be sure to restock on tissues.**

**Thanks for putting up with this sad, sad chapter.**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**


	9. Wallace's Deal

**(sniffling) Oh, hey everybody. Sorry, I'm still a little emotional after last chap. Unfortunately, this chap is probably going to be even worse, so make sure you're as prepared as I am. (pats full box of Kleenex)**

**Sorceress of the Nile: I've also read fanfics that make Basil his last name (where the name Sherringford came from I has no clue), and that's probably how it was meant to be in the original stories, seeing as Sherlock Holmes was called Holmes by most everybody, even by Dr. Watson and it makes sense that Ms. Titus would make her rodent Holmes Expy follow the same...but to be 100% honest, I've always just made Basil his first name and made up a last name that kept changing every time I thought about it (for a while I even had his last name be Brisby and made him the great-grandfather of Jonathan Brisby from The Secret of NIMH), and I'm too lazy and/or set in my ways to change it now! And hellz yeah, Vincent Price is STILL a god!**

**FairyTales and Pixie Dust: I agree, it'd be nice if they had made up, but unfortunately any patching up they could do would be greatly hindered by the fact that Ratti is now deceased. Believe it or not, this chapter's going to probably make you sadder. **

**Devilgirl123: That is one fangirl's personal theory as to how he went bad, yes. It's nice to meet you, too. I do not have a deviantART account, but I do visit there often to look at artwork and I will be sure to check out your profile next time I'm there. **

**Prepare your tissues and hankies, folks. As always, I do not own The Great Mouse Detective.**

Basil sighed. "And that's how Ratigan and I became enemies. After my wounds healed I resigned from Scotland Yard to become a consulting detective. I figured that I would have more time to search for him if I were working as my own man."

"Oh, Basil, that is the saddest tale I've ever heard," Dawson responded.

"Aye," Hiram agreed. "It's devastating."

"And now do you understand why I can't be in love?" Basil asked.

"No, not at all," Dawson answered. "I mean, what happened to your fiancée was horrible, and I can see mourning over her for some time, but seventeen years? I'm sorry, Basil my friend, but that does seem a bit absurd."

"Time can heal many wounds, Dawson old chap," Basil replied. He sniffed as he turned to face the window. "But it can't heal the hole that Evelyn's death left in my heart. And suppose I DID fall in love with Danielle, but then she somehow dies or leaves me. I don't think I could survive ANOTHER hole." He hung his head. "THAT'S why I can't be in love."

The others all gathered around Basil to offer their support. What none of them noticed was that Danielle had heard every word of his story from the other side of the bedroom door. She was crushed. After their wonderful night together, Basil still couldn't love her. Not that she blamed him; if she had lost a beloved fiancé in such a terrible manner, she doubted that she could ever find it in her heart to love again. No, she understood perfectly Basil's reasoning...and she understood what she had to do.

* * *

Later that night, once everyone else had gone to sleep, Danielle crept downstairs to the main room and opened the front door.

"Danielle?" The girl jumped a bit and turned to see Hiram standing there. "Where are you going, dear?"

"Thank you for your kind hospitality, Mr. Flaversham, but I'm afraid I have to leave now," Danielle replied.

"LEAVE? Whatever for?"

"I overheard what Basil was saying, about how he could never fall in love again after what happened to him." Danielle sighed, a tear coming to her eye. "He loved my Aunt Evelyn desperately, and he doesn't want to be hurt again. I can see where he's coming from." She chuckled a bit. "Besides, it would never work out between us. I mean, he's Basil of Baker Street, the world's greatest mouse detective, and I'm Danielle Ratigan, the daughter of his sworn enemy. We're naturally incompatible. It'd be best for everybody if I just left."

"It wouldn't be best for ME!" came a small cry. Olivia came running up to Danielle and hugged her. "Please don't go, Danielle. You're my big sister. I love you."

Danielle looked at the child, then at Hiram smiling at her, then back at Olivia. "I love you, too, Olivia." She picked her up and hugged her back. "You're right, I can't leave you. I'm staying right here with you."

"How sweet," a sinister voice spoke up. The three mice practically screamed to see Wallace and Jenkins standing at the front door.

"But unfortunately, Miss Ratigan must come back to London with me," Wallace continued. "We have a wedding to plan."

"I've told you before, Wallace," Danielle told the villain as she set Olivia down, who now ran behind her father. "I'm NOT going back to London with you, and I'm NOT marrying you."

Wallace smiled. "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice, my dear." He grabbed Danielle by the wrist. Danielle started punching him with her free hand, until Wallace slung her into a wall. Danielle fell to the floor with a thud, knocked out.

"Danielle!" Olivia screamed. Jenkins tried to grab the unconscious girl, but Olivia jumped on his back and started kicking and punching him. "Get away from my sister!"

"Well don't just stand there taking it, Jenkins!" Wallace ordered his butler. "Throw her off!"

"I can't, she's just a little girl," Jenkins refused. "She might get hurt if I threw her! And besides, she has an excellent grip!"

"Oh for God's sake, man, do I have to do EVERYTHING?" Wallace grabbed Olivia by the collar and threw her onto the floor. The little girl landed on her rear and bounced, dazed but awake. Wallace then pulled out a gun and pointed it at her.

"NO!" Hiram cried out. He ran over to his daughter and quickly jerked her out of the way of the gun...only to be shot in the chest himself. He fell to the floor.

"DADDY!" Olivia got up and ran into the next room to get help.

"Master Wallace, she's getting away," Jenkins pointed out the obvious.

"Let her go, Jenkins," Wallace dismissed it. "We've got who we came for. Let's just take her back to London." Jenkins picked Danielle up and slung her over his shoulder and carried her outside. Wallace started to follow, but then spotted Olivia's cap on a hat rack. He grinned as he took it and stuffed it into his pocket, then followed his butler outside.

A few minutes later, Olivia led the Baker Street mice into the main room. "And then that horrible Wallace shot my daddy!"

The adults gasped to see Hiram laying in a pool of blood. "Oh my goodness!" Mrs. Judson exclaimed.

"Please, Dr. Dawson, you've got to save him!" Olivia pleaded with the surgeon.

Dawson shook his head. "I'm afraid he's lost too much blood. I can't do anything. I'm so sorry, my dear." Olivia began to cry.

"It's all right, my bairn, it's all right," Hiram weakly tried to comfort his little daughter. "Everything is as it should be. I'm going to go be with Mummy again. Just promise me to be good, all right?" Olivia sniffed and nodded. "That's my girl." He looked over at Dawson and Mrs. Judson. "Take care of my daughter. You're the closest thing she has to family."

"Of course we will, Hiram," Dawson agreed.

"Thank you, friends." Hiram then shifted his gaze to Basil. "Danielle overheard what you told us. She was going to run away before Wallace kidnapped her." He grabbed Basil's hand. "Find her. Rescue her. Do what's right." With that, Hiram Flaversham slumped over, having spoken his final words. His hand slipped from Basil's. He was gone.

Olivia buried herself into Mrs. Judson's skirt sobbing. As she did, Basil looked over at the still wide open door. "I can't believe she heard what I said..."

* * *

Danielle moaned and rubbed her head as she regained consciousness. She sat up and looked around. She was laying in a cot, on a moving train, in the middle of the night.

"Ah, you're up," a voiced startled her. Wallace was sitting next to her. "Good. I need help picking what kind of flowers to have at the wedding."

"What wedding?" Danielle asked.

Wallace chuckled. "It seems your recent bump to the head has wiped out part of your memory. OUR wedding, my beloved. The wedding that shall commence tomorrow, once we're back in London."

Danielle frowned. "I wouldn't marry you if you were the last rodent on Earth!"

"Oh come now, darling, must you be so difficult?" Wallace asked. "I'd hate to think that killing that worthless toy maker was all for naught."

Danielle's eyes widened in horror. "You killed Mr. Flaversham?!" She kicked him in the side. "You monster! I'd sooner DIE than marry you!"

Wallace grimaced as he rubbed the side that Danielle had kicked, then regained his composure. "I had a feeling you would say that. That's why I took the liberty of gaining some leverage over you. You see, when Jenkins and I took you from Flaversham's, we also took the little brat."

"You...you have Olivia?" Danielle clenched her fists. "I swear to God, Wallace, if you've hurt so much as one hair on her head..."

"Calm yourself, my temperamental beauty. You have my guarantee that she is perfectly unharmed." Wallace stood up. "Seeing as I am a compassionate mouse, I am willing to make you a deal; agree to marry me, and I'll have Jenkins release the Flaversham girl and send her to a nice orphanage. Refuse, and let's just say that I fear for her safety."

Danielle frowned. "This is a trick! You don't really have Olivia!"

"Perhaps I don't." Wallace took Olivia's cap out of his pocket, making Danielle gasp. "But are you REALLY willing to take that chance?" He threw the cap, making it land on the floor next to her. "You have until we reach London to decide what means more to you; your life as a bachelorette, or the girl." He started to turn away to leave.

"WAIT!" Danielle cried. Wallace turned to face her. "All right, I'll do it. I'll marry you. Just please, please, PLEASE don't hurt Olivia!"

Wallace grinned. "Excellent choice, my love." He left the room, leaving Danielle to pick up the cap, hug it to her chest and cry.

**And thus we've reached the character death I promised you last chapter. No, I don't hate Hiram, I'm just an evil bitch who enjoys making the characters in her fanfics suffer (laughs wickedly). Don't worry faithful readers, I swear by Princess Celestia's multi-colored mane that this is the last character death you'll see here.**

**OK, now I REALLY want to strangle Wallace here! Anybody else with me?**

**Thank you for staying with me. I promise things will be getting better from here. **

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**


	10. Preparations for a Wedding

**Hey guys, I'm back! I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and ate lots of yummy homemade treats! I know I certainly did. **

**Well, judging by the comments that I've received from the last chapter, general consensus is that the audience wants to kill/cause horrible bodily harm to Wallace for what he's done...don't you worry, friends, he'll get what's coming to him soon enough!**

**In this chapter, Basil and company head back to London, and Danielle gets a visit from a very special guest. **

The next day was one full of misery and sadness. After burying Hiram in a quick but meaningful midnight ceremony at a local cemetery, the Baker Street mice boarded an early morning train back to London. Basil and Dawson sat together in one aisle, and Mrs. Judson and Olivia sat in the aisle behind them. Olivia was crying over the death of her father and the kidnapping of her sister, and Mrs. Judson was hugging her and trying to comfort her. "There, there, sweetie. Your father is in a better place now. It'll be all right."

"What do we do now, Basil?" Dawson asked the detective, who was wistfully looking out the window at the passing scenery, his deerstalker hat resting on his lap.

Basil sighed as he fingered the brim of his hat. "I'm afraid there's nothing we CAN do, Doctor."

"Nothing we can do? But we have to find Danielle!"

Basil shook his head, tears stinging his eyes. "It's no use, Dawson. We'll never be able to catch up to Wallace before he does anything to Danielle. And even if we did, I doubt she'd even want to see me. She probably hates me after what I said. I let her believe that I could love her when I can't. I let her down. No, I can't do a thing."

"Can't do a thing?" Olivia repeated, standing up on the seat. "Can't do a thing?! You're Basil of Baker Street! You figured out where my father was when Professor Ratigan kidnapped him! You stopped the professor from murdering the Queen! You saved me when I was about to get crushed by those big gears in the clock tower! You can do ANYTHING! And I know that you can save Danielle. You just have to get over your past and believe in yourself!"

Basil looked over at the little girl, amazed. "Such wisdom coming from such a young mouth." He smiled. "You're right, Miss Flamiel..."

"Flaversham."

"Right, sorry. I CAN do anything! WE can do anything!" Basil put his hat back on his head. "We'll start the search as soon as we reach London. We are going to find Danielle and bring her back!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at Wallace's flat, Danielle was being dressed and waited on by several maids. They were all extremely kind and friendly to the young woman, but she felt too depressed to notice. Just then, Wallace came in.

"My sainted mother, God rest her soul, wore this dress on her wedding day," he told his future bride, who didn't look him in the eye once. "However, her beauty pales in comparison to yours." His eye caught the gold necklace around Danielle's neck. "Ugh! You don't REALLY want to get married with THAT ugly old thing around your neck, do you?" Wallace took the necklace off of Danielle, who didn't even try to fight back, and set it on the vanity she was seated at. He then took out a silver necklace with a diamond pendant and put it around her neck. "There you go. NOW you look like the perfect bride. Come now, ladies, let's leave the future Mrs. Wallace to finish preparing by herself. I'll come get you when it's time to go to the church, my love." They all left, leaving Danielle alone and hopeless.

Danielle groaned and buried her face in her hands. "So this is where my life is going. I'm wearing the dress of a woman I've never met, about to marry a man I can't stand!"

"So then why are you marrying him?" Danielle jumped at the familiar-sounding voice. No, it couldn't be...could it? She lifted her head and slowly turned around to see her father standing behind her. "Daddy? Is it really you?"

Ratigan smiled sadly. "In a manner of speaking, yes. It's really me, but I am but an apparition. I can't do anything but talk to you...no matter how much I want to hold my baby girl again."

Danielle sighed. "Oh, Daddy, I don't know what to do. I absolutely HATE Wallace and the thought of spending the rest of my life with him makes me sick to my stomach, but if I don't marry him he'll have Olivia killed! Why did I have to get involved in all of this?" She looked over at her father's ghost. "You were always so much smarter than I am! You never would have gotten into this gigantic mess!" She started to cry with frustration.

"You're right, I never would have gotten into this gigantic mess," Ratigan admitted. "But that has nothing to do with being smart, my little honey bunny. It's all about caring for someone other than yourself, something you've always been FAR better at than I ever was. The only reason you're even thinking about going through with this is because you care about Olivia's safety. But if being with Wallace really does, as you said, make you sick to your stomach, well then you deserve a better life with someone you CAN tolerate." He grinned. "Perhaps even with Basil?"

"Basil? No, that's impossible! He closed off his heart when Aunt Evelyn died."

"Yes, but not completely, else he would've turned evil like me. No, our dear Basil just needs the right woman in his life to reopen his heart...and you, Miss Danielle Mary Ratigan, you just might be the one."

Danielle looked at her father, confused. "How can you even support the idea of your only daughter being with your worst enemy?"

"A father's first priority is making sure that his daughter is happy," Ratigan explained. "And when you were with Basil, you were the happiest I've ever seen you since my death." He sighed. "Danielle, I cannot make your decisions for you. You're a grown woman, and you have the ability and the intelligence to choose your own future. Just know that whatever you choose, I'm very proud of you, my little princess, and I'll always love you." And with that, just as quickly as he had arrived, the ghost of Professor Ratigan was gone.

Danielle thought about what her father had told her. She really didn't want to disobey what he had suggested to her, but at the same time she couldn't let Olivia be harmed by her decisions. And besides, if life with Wallace was really as horrible as she predicted it would be, she could always get an annulment of the marriage...very untraditional, but then when had anything in her life been traditional? Danielle smiled, took the silver necklace off, and put the gold necklace back on.

All right, then, let the ceremony begin.

* * *

As Danielle was having her conversation with her father's spirit, Jenkins was helping Wallace get ready for the wedding.

"How splendid," Wallace commented as he observed himself in the mirror. "You know, Jenkins, my father wore this suit the day he married my mother. I do believe I look somewhat like him, don't I?"

"The spitting image," Jenkins replied, practically spitting himself.

Wallace eyed his butler oddly. "Whatever is the matter with you, Jenkins? I'm about to marry into vast wealth. You should be happy for me."

"And YOU should be ashamed of yourself!" Jenkins shot back.

"Excuse me?"

"You murdered that toymaker in cold blood, you left his poor daughter without a family, you lied to Miss Ratigan in order to get her to marry you, you plan on murdering HER once you're married in order to get to her money...I'm sorry, Master Wallace, but you have completely disgraced your family name AND your parents, and I can no longer sit by idly while you act like such a vile, contemptible ass! Consider this my resignation!" Jenkins started for the door.

"And consider THIS my firing you!" Wallace replied, grabbing a nearby knife and throwing it into Jenkins' back. The butler fell to the floor. "I'm sorry, Jenkins, but I can't let your change of heart get in the way of gaining my fortune." With that, Wallace stepped over the dying butler and left the room to collect Danielle.

* * *

Five minutes after the engaged couple left for the church, Basil and company arrived at Wallace's flat and found Jenkins lying on the floor, bleeding out but still alive. "Oh, my goodness, you poor man!" Mrs. Judson cried out, kneeling next to him.

"Wallace did this to you, didn't he?" Basil asked. Jenkins nodded. "Where is Danielle?"

"Wallace has taken her to St. Paul's for the wedding," Jenkins moaned. "You should know, Wallace plans on murdering Miss Ratigan once they're married in order to inherit her money."

The others gasped. "I should have KNOWN that fiend couldn't have wanted to marry Danielle for love!" Basil practically screamed.

"I'm so sorry for everything my stupid master has done to you," Jenkins gasped. He looked at Olivia. "Especially for your father, my dear." He looked up at Basil. "You must stop Wallace and save Miss Ratigan. You are...her...only...hope..." Jenkins then collapsed, having spoken his last words.

Basil took his hat off his head in reverence. "Rest well, my friend. You've earned it." He put his hat back on. "Dawson, Mrs. Judson, Olivia, you all stay here and help prepare our friend's body. I've got a wedding to stop!"

"I'm coming with you!" Olivia responded.

"Olivia, this is too dangerous for you..." Basil began.

"I don't care! Danielle is my sister and I want to help save her!"

Basil sighed. "All right, but stay close." He held her hand and the two started off.

"Basil..." The detective turned to face Dawson. "...good luck, my friend." Basil smiled at the doctor's kind words and he and Olivia ran out of the room and out of the flat, heading for St. Paul's.

**Poor Jenkins...but then again, he was an OC, so technically I haven't broken my promise of no more character deaths in this story, now have I? Heehee, I just love loopholes! **

**I know there are probably tons of churches in London, but having never actually BEEN there (although I would love to someday), I just went with the only church I know of, St. Paul's (and the only real reason I know of it is from the song "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins...yeah, I'm a Disney freak.) **

**Before anyone asks, yes, I stole the whole Danielle-talking-to-her-dead-father's-ghost scene from The Lion King, when Mufasa's ghost convinces Simba to go back to Pride Rock and face Scar...what can I say, it's a very powerful scene, it inspired me heavily.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chap, and I'll see you soon for more. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go jog to Detroit to work off Thanksgiving dinner (and I live in Connecticut, just to give you an idea of how far I'm jogging).**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess. **


	11. The Wedding Crasher

**Bonjour, mes amies...OK, that's all the French I know. Let's just move on, shall we?**

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: Yeah, I could see the rest of Ratti's Mufasa speech going something like "Remember who you are; you are my daughter and the one true Queen of Mousedom..." I dunno. YAYZ, I'm glad you're happy!**

**LuluCalliope: Be my guest, my friend! Just please be careful not to kill him, I need him alive for my next chap.**

**Sorceress of the Nile: Yeah, poor guy. IKR, that scene is so very epic! Oh Terra, I absolutely love you...you're so honest with your violent nature!**

**Here, Wallace and Danielle's wedding begins, and Basil plans to crash the party. As usual, I don't own boo.**

St. Paul's was bustling with excitement. Many mice had gathered in the cathedral to see the wedding. Writers from local newspapers gathered in the back, preparing to write about the marriage of the daughter of London's most successful crime lord and the son of the country's stupidest nobleman. It was the wedding everyone would be talking about.

As the mice watched, Wallace and Danielle made their way to the altar. Danielle could feel the people's eyes glaring at them. She knew many still harbored great resentment towards her father and thought little of Wallace's father. She looked over at Wallace. Her groom either didn't feel the eyes or didn't care. She gulped and continued walking.

The priest began the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Danielle Mary Ratigan and Michael John Wallace the Third in holy matrimony," he spoke. "But what exactly IS marriage? Is it two souls joining together to become one? Is it just a silly commitment made between two mice? Well, my friends, this is what I think marriage is..."

"Oh good Lord, we've got a rambler," Wallace muttered to himself.

* * *

Basil and Olivia ran to St. Paul's. They headed for the front door, but were blocked by a large mouse acting as an usher.

"Sorry, folks, wedding going on in there, invited guests only." Then, the usher recognized the detective. "Hey, you're Basil of Baker Street, the great detective! You here on a case?"

"Um, yes, actually," Basil fibbed. "Someone has been stealing hymnals from the church pews recently, and I'm here to investigate and see if there are any possible leads."

"Well then go right on ahead." The usher stepped aside. Basil tipped his hat. "Thank you, my good man." He ran in, but the usher blocked Olivia. "Sorry, kid. Invited guests and detectives only."

* * *

"And that, my children, is what I believe a marriage is," the priest finished his sermon.

"Oh thank God!" Wallace cried out. "Can we PLEASE go on with the rest of the ceremony?"

The priest sneered at Wallace. "Very well. If anyone should have any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

"I have a reason!" a voice from the back of the church called. Everyone turned to see Basil running down the aisle. Many whispered to one another about what could be going on.

"Basil?" Danielle asked, her heart leaping a little.

"Danielle, I need to talk to you," Basil gasped, trying to catch his breath from running.

"This isn't a good time, Mr. Basil," Wallace told him. "We're in the middle of a wedding."

"Step aside now, you cad!" Basil shot back, pushing Wallace back a bit. A few mice gasped.

"Me, a cad? You kiss my fiancée while she's betrothed to me, and I'M the cad?" More mice gasped.

"Well at least **I** don't plan to marry rich young ladies and then MURDER them so that I can inherit their fortunes!" The whole congregation gasped.

Wallace grabbed Danielle's shoulders and turned her to face him. "Danielle, my love, don't listen to him, he's insane."

"Danielle, please, you have to listen to me," Basil told the bride, yanking her in his direction. "I know you overheard what I said last night, about not being able to love. I just want you to know that I am so sorry and that it's not true. I CAN love. It's just been so hard for me to try and reopen my heart. I was always so afraid of suffering another heartbreak."

"I understand," Danielle replied. "You were devastated when Evelyn died. I can see where you'd be afraid."

"Land sakes, Mr. Baker Street, I must admit that I never knew you were ever involved with a woman before," the priest commented.

Basil sighed. "It's a long story, Father."

"Yes, well, I think we've had enough length added to this ceremony," Wallace interrupted. "Please continue, Father."

"No! I will not let you take away the woman that I love!" Basil yelled. The entire congregation gasped again.

Danielle blinked. "What...What did you just say?"

Basil sucked in his breath and nervously took Danielle's hand. "I love you, Danielle Ratigan. I don't care if your father was my greatest foe or my greatest friend, or if he left you richer than the Queen or poor as a louse...I love you, and I want to be with you."

Danielle smiled. "Oh, Basil, I love you, too!" She ran into Basil's arms. The congregation applauded as they embraced.

"Need I remind you, Danielle, that I still have the Flaversham girl in my clutches, and if you refuse me then she may not live to see tomorrow," Wallace spoke up. Danielle tensed up in Basil's arms.

"Don't listen to him!" came another voice from the back. Everyone turned again to see Olivia running up to the altar, followed by the usher.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wallace, she slipped right under me," he told Wallace. "She's a fast little bugger!"

"Olivia!" Danielle cried out, running to the little girl and scooping her in her arms. "Oh thank goodness you're all right!"

"Wallace lied to you!" Olivia announced. "He never had me in his clutches! I was with Basil and the others the whole time!"

Danielle turned to face Wallace, fire in her eyes. "Wallace, you are a rotten, dirty, lying, cheating, despicable excuse for a mouse, and this wedding is off!" The congregation cheered as she went back to hugging Basil and Olivia.

Wallace growled. "Don't think that I will be beaten that easily!" He ran over, grabbed Olivia away from Danielle and ran out the door. "Follow me and the girl is dead!" he shouted as he ran.

Danielle screamed. "Olivia! Oh God, Wallace will kill her!"

"Then we don't have a moment to lose! Come on!" Basil dashed out the door after Wallace, with Danielle close behind.

**Aww, Basil and Danielle have admitted their feelings for each other! I just adore good old fashioned mushy romance, don't you?**

**OK, the part where Basil crashes the wedding is heavily inspired by the end of** **Shrek...yeah, I tend to "borrow" elements from movies and shows that I like for my fanfics. Hey, I never said that I was a professional authoress.**

**Ooh, big climatic chase scene coming up next chap! Better hold on to your socks! Hope to see you guys there!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess. **


	12. The Final Showdown

**Bonjour, mes amies...OK, that's pretty much all the French I know...man I gotta learn more languages!**

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: Aww, thanks, I'm glad you like Basil and Danielle as a couple, I like them too.**

**Sorceress of the Nile: Yeah, it was totes mushy, but I am a mushy person, so there you go. Poor Livy, she really IS a trouble magnet! Don't worry, I won't let her get hurt. **

**Here we have the big climatic showdown between our heroes and the dastardly Wallace. What's going to happen? Gotta read to see!**

Wallace ran away from the church, carrying Olivia under his arm. However, the little girl was putting up quite a fight. "Let go of me, you big dumb bully! When Basil and Danielle get a hold of you, you're going to be in BIG trouble!"

"Oh shut up, you little brat!" Wallace snapped at her. Then, he saw Basil and Danielle following them. "So they decided to follow...BIG mistake!" He ran off to a sewer opening and jumped down.

"He's getting away!" Danielle cried out. "Come on!" Once they reached the opening, both mice jumped into the sewer. Danielle landed on her feet like a cat, but Basil fell to the ground with a thud. "OW! Oh God, I think I twisted my ankle!"

Wallace and Olivia were nowhere in sight. Suddenly, there was an evil laugh coming from deep within a nearby pipe. "You two shouldn't have followed me! Now the girl is going to die!"

"It's coming from over there!" Danielle noted. "Come on!"

"You go on ahead, Danielle," Basil told her.

"But I can't leave you here..."

"Listen to me, Danielle," Basil interrupted her. "I really hurt my ankle on the landing. I can't run as fast as you. Besides, you know the sewers better than do I, you can get to Olivia faster and get her out of Wallace's clutches! I'll catch up to you as soon as I can."

Danielle frowned. "You're right." With that, she ran after Wallace as fast as her legs could carry her. As she ran, the edge of her skirt got snagged in an open pipe. "Oh come on, let go!" She pulled hard and freed herself, ripping part of the skirt off. Then, she continued running. As she ran, her shoes fell off and various bits of clothes were torn off until finally, when she reached Wallace, she was wearing just the shredded remains of the dress. She leapt onto Wallace and knocked him down, making him drop Olivia.

Olivia blinked and watched in horror as she saw Danielle mercilessly beating up Wallace. After a bit, Basil limped over to where they were and gaped at what he saw. He held onto Olivia and turned away from the fight. It was too brutal. It brough back memories of the night on top of Big Ben, when Ratigan was mauling him near death.

Danielle continued to punch and kick Wallace. She was about to finish him off when she glanced over at a nearby puddle. She gasped at what she saw. Her clothes were torn, her hair was messy, her eyes were wild. She looked like a raving lunatic. No, worse...she looked like her father had on the day she saw his body. She squeaked and shrank back away from the battered Wallace, breathing heavily. "What...what have I done? No, I won't do this. I won't end up this way." She buried her face in her hands and wept.

Basil saw that she had stopped beating Wallace and was crying. He limped over to her and knelt beside her, wrapping his arms around her. Olivia quickly joined him in hugging the distraught girl. "Shh, there there, Danielle. It's all right, we've got you now, everything's going to be fine," Basil whispered to his love as she sobbed into his chest.

"Not quite." The three mice looked up in horror as Wallace was standing before them, pointing a gun at them all. "Say goodbye, monster woman." Thinking quickly, Basil pushed Danielle and Olivia away...and got shot in the shoulder in the process.

"BASIL!" Danielle screamed. She glared furiously at Wallace and got up, stomping over towards him. Panicking, Wallace tried to shoot her, but his gun wouldn't go off. "Confound this wretched thing!" He threw the gun aside...only to have it go off then and shoot him in the head. Danielle shrieked as she watched the villain's limp body fall to the ground.

For a long time, Danielle just stood there, staring at her dead enemy, absorbing everything that had just happened. Then, she heard Olivia cry out "Danielle!" She turned to see the little girl sitting next to Basil, who was lying on the ground, grasping his injured shoulder. She ran over to them and knelt down next to the hurt detective.

Basil moaned as he looked up at Danielle. "Are...are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Wallace accidentally shot himself. He's gone." Danielle hugged Olivia. "He'll never do anything to hurt any of us ever again."

Basil smiled. "That's excellent news. That most certainly is...excellent...news." He passed out from the horrific pain in his shoulder.

"Oh no." Danielle frantically shook Basil. "Basil, no! Stay with me! Dammit, stay with me!"

Just then, she heard a voice call from above ground. "Basil! Danielle! Olivia! Where are you?"

Danielle smiled a little. "Dr. Dawson! We're down here in the sewers!"

"In the sewers?" She heard climbing down a pipe, then saw Dawson and Mrs. Judson run to where they were. The first thing they saw was Wallace's body and Danielle in a torn wedding dress.

"Good Lord, child, you're a mess!" Mrs. Judson commented. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, but please, we have to help Basil, he's been shot!"

"SHOT?!" Dawson ran to Basil. "Basil! Basil, can you hear me?" He felt the detective's wrist. "He's still alive. Quickly, we've got to get him to the hospital!"

Danielle nodded and carefully picked up her hero and held him in her arms. "Hold on, Basil, we're going to save you." The group of mice then ran off to the nearest sewer opening, on their way to the hospital.

* * *

Later that day, in the hospital, Basil was now awake and talking with the doctor who had treated him. His right arm was completely bandaged. Dawson, Olivia and Mrs. Judson were all waiting with him.

"Well, Mr. Benson, I'd say you're a very lucky fellow," the doctor told the detective. "Had that bullet hit your chest or your stomach, you'd be dead right now. But seeing as it only hit your shoulder, you're going to be just fine. You just won't be able to use your right arm for a while, and stay off your twisted ankle."

"Oh, that should be all right, Doctor," Basil sighed. "It's a good thing I'm ambidextrous, though." That got everyone laughing.

Then, Olivia noticed something. "Hey, where's Danielle?" The others looked around.

"She was just here a minute ago," Mrs. Judson spoke up.

Meanwhile, outside Basil's room, Danielle was sitting curled up in a ball on the floor. She was still in the torn wedding dress, but Mrs. Judson had combed her hair so that it was neat. She was still having some trouble digesting just everything that had gone on in the past day.

"There you are!" she heard Olivia greet her as she stepped outside. "Basil is awake now. He wants to see you." Then, she saw the distressed look on her sister's face. "What's wrong?"

"This is all my fault," Danielle said weakly.

"What is?"

"ALL of it!" Danielle exploded. "Your father's death, Wallace's death, Basil being injured...it all happened because of me! It would have been better if I had never met any of you." She turned away from the little girl.

"No it wouldn't have," Olivia argued. She moved so that she was looking at Danielle's face again. "And none of this is your fault. My daddy died saving ME, and Basil got hurt trying to protect us. And I doubt anyone's going to miss Wallace." She laughed, making Danielle smile a bit. "And if you had never met us, I never would have gotten the nicest, smartest, bestest big sister in the whole world." She hugged Danielle.

Danielle sighed. "What's worse is, Wallace was right when he called me a monster woman back there. I WAS a monster. I turned into a horrible beast. I must have scared you and Basil half to death. I'm just like my father was." She crossed her arms sadly and leaned over so that her forehead was resting on her knees.

"No, not really," Olivia replied. Danielle glanced up at the little girl. "Your father and you both turned into crazy monsters, that's true, but they were for totally different reasons. HE became a monster just to hurt Basil, but YOU became a monster to save me and to stop Wallace from hurting me."

Danielle nodded. "I WAS thinking pretty much of you when I was attacking Wallace. I wanted to make him hurt for everything he'd done to you and your family." She hugged the little girl. "Oh, Olivia, I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Danielle," Olivia responded. "You're my big sister and my best friend."

Just then, Dawson came out. "Oh, there you girls are. Come in, Basil wants to see Danielle." The two girls looked at each other and went in together. Basil smiled when he saw Danielle. "Could you all please excuse us? I'd like to talk to Miss Ratigan alone for a minute."

"Of course. I have other patients to tend to, anyway." The doctor left the room, followed quickly by the other mice. Danielle went up to the bedridden detective. "Basil, I can never thank you enough for saving me..."

"No, Danielle, YOU saved ME," Basil interrupted her. "You saved me from spending the rest of my life without love. You helped me see that I could soften my heart to others without fear of being hurt again." He took her hand in his. "And for that, I can never thank you enough."

Danielle sat next to him. "Oh Basil, why did you take a bullet for me?"

"I already lost ONE woman that I loved," Basil responded. "I wasn't about to lose another."

The young girl smiled as she stroked Basil's face. "Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed that a handsome prince would come to find me and save me from my loneliness. I never once imagined that my handsome prince would be in the form of a detective."

Basil coughed, then smiled up at Danielle. "Danielle, my love, if it's all right with you, I'd like to ask you something..."

Danielle squealed. "Oh, yes, Basil, yes. I WILL marry you!"

Basil frowned. "Actually, I was just going to ask if you would fetch me a glass of water. My throat's rather dry." He saw her face fall, then grinned. "But since you've brought up the subject of marriage..."

Danielle beamed as she hugged Basil, being careful as to not crush his injured arm. Then, she peered into his eyes as he peered into hers, and they kissed passionately, both of them knowing that this would be the start of a wonderful life together.

**FINALLY! That bastard Wallace is DEAD! Hallelujah!**

**Poor Basil has absolutely no luck with climatic battles, does he? First Ratigan kicks the everliving snot out of him, and now he twists his ankle AND gets shot in the shoulder...I love ya, Bas, but you gotta learn better fighting tactics, dude!**

**Stay tuned for the final chapter of the story, coming soon!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**


	13. A New Life Together

**Hello, my faithful readers! Hope you're all ready for the conclusion of "The Great Mouse Detective 2: Unexpected Love!" **

**FairyTales And Pixie Dust: I know, it's very emotional, finishing a fanfic that you've enjoyed writing so much. But hey, I plan on writing several more GMD stories and one-shots, that's good, right? **

**Sorceress of the Nile: He really does, doesn't he LOL? I completely agree, Terra, let us all sing and dance on the bastard's grave! **

**Here, we see the aftermath of Basil and Danielle becoming a couple. Enjoy! As always, I do not own The Great Mouse Detective (as much as I'd love to.)**

TWO YEARS LATER

Basil Benson paced back and forth outside the bedchamber door. He bit at his right index finger nervously. Inside, his wife Danielle was giving birth to their first child.

Basil wasn't the only one waiting outside the door. Sitting next to him was Olivia, who had come to live at 221 1/2 B Baker Street permanently after her father's death. She was every bit as nervous as the detective was. After all, Danielle's mother had been so delicate that childbirth had proven to be fatal to her. What if Danielle ended up sharing that trait?

Just then, the door opened. Dawson came out, wiping his hands on his handkerchief. Following close behind him was Mrs. Judson, who had served as midwife. "Is everything all right, Doctor?" Basil asked, his voice shaking a bit.

Dawson smiled. "Everything is just fine, my friend. Both mother and son are healthy and happy."

Basil smiled happily. "I have a son."

"Come on in," Mrs. Judson told the two mice. They quietly went into the bedchamber, where Danielle was sitting in bed, positively glowing. In her arms she held their newborn son, wrapped in a soft blue blanket.

Basil sat down next to his wife and gazed lovingly at his son. "Oh, Danielle, he's absolutely PERFECT!"

Danielle nodded. "And he looks just like his daddy."

"Ooh, let me see, I want to see!" Olivia chimed in. Basil carefully picked the eight-year-old up and set her on the bed to get a better view of the baby. "Oh, he's so cute! Do you know what you're going to name him?"

"Actually, I sort of do," Danielle replied. "When I was a young girl, I made a promise to my father that I would name my first son Padraic after him, and I would very much like to keep that promise." She looked over to her husband. "Is that all right, Basil?"

Basil frowned. Never in a million years would he ever have even considered naming a child of his after that demented fiend Ratigan. But then, he realized that he wouldn't be naming his son after his worst enemy; he would be naming the boy after his grandfather, who had for years loved and supported his mother. The detective smiled. "Of course it's all right, dear. Padraic Benson. It has a rather nice ring to it, I'd say."

"I think it's a wonderful name," Olivia agreed. She smiled at the tiny newborn. "Hello, baby Padraic. I'm your Auntie Olivia. We're going to have so much fun together."

Danielle smiled as her sister admired her son. She rested her head against Basil's chest, who then in turn draped his arm over her shoulders. Life was wonderful for both of them.

* * *

Meanwhile, up in Heaven, Professor Ratigan was gazing down upon his daughter and her new family. He smiled, but still he felt a tug of sadness in his heart that he wasn't there with them.

"A wonderful sight, isn't it?" a voice behind him stated. Ratigan turned to see Mary standing there. "I remember the countless times I've stood there, watching you and Danielle as she grew up, making sure to protect you both."

"She looks so happy," Ratigan commented. "Why shouldn't she be? She has a good home, a loving family...she deserves it all." He sighed. "She's always deserved so much more than what I could provide her with."

"What are you talking about? Our daughter has become a fine young woman, Padraic, and it's all thanks to you."

Ratigan shook his head. "No, it couldn't be. I kept her in the sewers for most of her life. I closed her off from society. If anything, I diminished her chances of finding a good life."

"Well, you must have done SOMETHING right, else why would she name our grandson after you?" Mary rested her head against her husband's shoulder. "For someone who claimed to be the World's Greatest Criminal Mind, you certainly made a wonderful daddy."

The professor smiled as he wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. "I love you, Mary."

"I love you, too, Padraic." With that, the deceased couple kissed passionately. At the same time, on earth, their daughter and son-in-law shared an equally passionate kiss. It truly was an amazing time for all.

**It's the Ciiiiiiiircle of Liiiiiiiiife! Yeah, yet another classic Disney movie moment I've completely taken; starting the story with the birth of the main character and ending with the birth of their first child. Again, just going with I know and like. **

**OK, is it totally cliché that Basil and Danielle named their baby boy Padraic after Ratigan? Probably, but dang it if it isn't sweet!**

**The bit with Ratigan and Mary was inspired by the conclusion of Sorceress of the Nile's awesome fanfic "Ratigan's story." If you haven't already read it, definitely check it out, it's wonderful. **

**And thus, we have come to the end of this tale. Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed, especially FairyTales And Pixie Dust and Sorceress of the Nile; you have both inspired me greatly with your kind words, and I am truly grateful. Hope to see you all again soon for another story! **

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**


End file.
